Basis of Front Office

Transcription

1 STUDENTS HANDBOOK Class XI CENTRAL BOARD OF SECONDARY EDUCATION Shiksha Kendra, 2, Community Centre, Preet Vihar, Delhi , India i

2 Name of the Title : First Edition: March 2014 No of Copies : 500 CBSE Paper used : 80 GSM CBSE Watermark White Maplitho Price: This book or part thereof may not be reproduced by any Person or Agency in any manner. Published by : The Secretary, C. B. S. E. Shiksha Kendra, 2, Community Centre, Preet Vihar, Delhi DESIGN, LAYOUT& I G Printers Pvt. Ltd., Printed by : New Delhi ii

3 iii

4 THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA PREAMBLE 1 WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC and to secure to all its citizens : JUSTICE, social, economic and political; LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship; EQUALITY of status and of opportunity; and to promote among them all 2 FRATERNITY assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation; IN OUR CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY this twenty-sixth day of November, 1949, do HEREBY ADOPT, ENACT AND GIVE TO OURSELVES THIS CONSTITUTION. 1. Subs, by the Constitution (Forty-Second Amendment) Act. 1976, sec. 2, for "Sovereign Democratic Republic (w.e.f ) 2. Subs, by the Constitution (Forty-Second Amendment) Act. 1976, sec. 2, for "unity of the Nation (w.e.f ) iv ARTICLE 51A THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA Chapter IV A FUNDAMENTAL DUTIES Fundamental Duties - It shall be the duty of every citizen of India- (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h) (i) (j) to abide by the Constitution and respect its ideals and institutions, the National Flag and the National Anthem; to cherish and follow the noble ideals which inspired our national struggle for freedom; to uphold and protect the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India; to defend the country and render national service when called upon to do so; to promote harmony and the spirit of common brotherhood amongst all the people of India transcending religious, linguistic and regional or sectional diversities; to renounce practices derogatory to the dignity of women; to value and preserve the rich heritage of our composite culture; to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers, wild life and to have compassion for living creatures; to develop the scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform; to safeguard public property and to abjure violence; to strive towards excellence in all spheres of individual and collective activity so that the nation constantly rises to higher levels of endeavour and achievement; 1 (k) to provide opportunities for education to his/her child or, as the case may be, ward between age of 6 and 14 years. 1. Subs, by the Constitution (Eighty-Sixth Amendment) Act

5 Preface In an increasingly globalized world and the changing paradigm of urbanized living the demand for Hospitality and Tourism has increased manifold the world over. In this ever expanding sector, it has become essential to provide competency based vocational Education. Taking cue from this need, a new course on Front Office Management is being launched that will help students to either join the industry after class XII or they can pursue higher Education in this field. The attempt of CBSE to introduce Students Handbook on for class XI tries to equip the students with the knowledge about front office, hotel organization and it functioning, staff hierarchy and organization structure of a hotel, types of hotel room, meal plans and basis of charging, duties and responsibilities of front office personnel, safety and security, reservation and co-ordination of front office with the other departments. It has been a deliberate effort to keep the language used in this students handbook as simple as possible. Necessary pictorial illustrations and formats have been included to help the students to understand the concepts without any difficulty. Practicing professionals from the field of Hospitality and Tourism comprised the team of authors for this book. The Board thankfully acknowledges their contribution in completing the book in record time. I hope this book will serve as a useful resource in this subject. The Board is grateful to the members of the Committee of Course for their advice, guidance and total commitment towards development of this course. We are indeed indebted to these academic advisors who have lent us the benefit of their rich and insightful experience. I would like to appreciate Vocational Education Cell, CBSE for coordinating and successfully completing this work. Comments and suggestions are welcome for further improvement of the Book. Vineet Joshi, IAS Chairman, CBSE v

6 vi

7 Acknowledgements Advisors 1. Sh. Vineet Joshi, IAS, Chairman, CBSE. 2. Sh. M.V.V. Prasada Rao, Director (Vocational and Edusat), CBSE. Material Production Group 1. Mr. P. Lakhawat, Sr. Lecturer, IHM Gurdaspur. 2. Mr. P. Suresh, Lecturer, IHM Gwalior. 3. Ms. Shilpi Bhatia, Asst. Lecturer, AIHM Chandigarh. Editing & Coordination 1. Dr. Biswajit Saha, Additional Director, (Voc. Education) CBSE. 2. Mr. Jaidip Shankar, Executive Officer (Studies), NCHMCT 3. Ms. Swati Gupta, Deputy Director, (Voc. Education), CBSE. vii

8 Table of Contents Page No. Unit 1: Hotel Organization Unit overview and description 1.1 Introduction 1.2 The organization of a hotel 1.3 Departments that make a Hotel 1.4 Staff hierarchy and organization structure of Hotel 1.5 organizing Hotel Departments on the basis of revenue 1.6 Let us sum up 1.7 Practical activities Unit 2: Hotel Rooms Unit overview and description 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Classification of Guest Rooms 2.3 Types of Hotel Rooms 2.4 Let us sum up 2.5 Practical activities Unit 3: Meal Plans and Basis of charging Unit overview and description 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Meal Plans 3.3 Comparing the meal plans 3.4 Basis of charging 3.5 Tariff Card 3.6 Let us sum up 3.7 Practical activities Unit 4: Front Office Unit overview and description 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Staffing the Front Office 4.3 Staff Hierarchy chart of a large and medium sized hotel 4.4 Sections of front office department 4.5 Functional organization of Front Office department 4.6 Equipment used in front office 4.7 Duties and responsibilities of front office personnel 4.8 Let Us Sum Up 4.9 Practical Activities viii

9 Unit 5: Lobby and its layout 5.0 Unit overview and description 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Lobby Layout 5.3 Let Us Sum Up 5.4 Practical Activities Unit 6: Co-ordination of Front office with other departments 6.0 Unit overview and description 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Advantages of coordination among departments 6.3 Co-ordination of Front office with different departments in the hotel 6.4 Let Us Sum Up 6.5 Practical Activities Unit 7: Safety and Security 7.0 Unit overview and description 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Developing the Security Programme 7.3 Security for guests 7.4 Security of Hotels 7.5 Emergency Procedures 7.6 Communication and Records 7.7 Let Us Sum Up 7.8 Practical Activities Unit 8: Reservation 8.0 Unit overview and description 8.1 Introduction 8.2 Importance of reservation 8.3 Modes and sources of reservation 8.4 Types of reservation 8.5 Systems of Reservation 8.6 Process of reservation 8.7 Group Reservation 8.8 Cancellation and Revision 8.9 Selective Overbooking 8.10 Reservation Reports 8.11 Let Us Sum Up 8.12 Practical Activities Unit 9: ASSIGNMENTS ix

10 General Instructions to the Students 1. It is expected that the student will be able to understand the basis of functioning of Front Office Department in Hotels. 2. The students should try to gain as much practical knowledge as possible by completing the practical assignments suggested at the end of the units. 3. The students should focus on the Front Office Staff Organization,Various Sections in Front Office, Duties and Responsibility of Front Office Staff explained in Unit 4. Also Students should understand the need and Importance of Coordination of Front Office Staff with other Departments. 4. Each student must go through the relevant points on the reservation system followed in Hotels and what to do while dealing with different situations involving the Guests and Hotel Security. All doubts and queries of the students should be clearly addressed and explained. Such questions and answers should be noted down in pocket note books which shall be the basis of writing more elaborate Reports. Collaborative group activities should be encouraged among students for proper understanding. 5. Proper caution regarding safety is mandatory during carrying out of practical projects. All safety requirements must be followed strictly. x

11 Learning Objectives S.NO Unit/Chapter Name Theory+ Key Learning Objectives Practical 1 Hotel organization 1. Identify the Organization of a hotel 18 Hrs. 9 Hrs. 2 Hotel Rooms 3 4 Meal plans & Basis of 9 Hrs. charging Front Office 23 Hrs. 5 Lobby and its layout 12 Hrs. 6 Co-ordination of Front Office with other Departments 19 Hrs. 7 Safety and Security 10 Hrs. 8 Reservation 30 Hrs. 9 Assignments 10 Hrs. 2. List down the Departments and Staff hierarchy chart of a Hotel 3. Identify Departmental organization on the basis of revenue 1. Classifyand differentiate the Types of Guest Rooms 1. Understand the Meal Plans, Comparative meal plan chart&basis of charging 1. Explain the Staff organisation, Functional organization&sections of Front Office department 2. Prepare and Understand the Staff Hierarchy chart of a large and medium sized hotel 3. List the Equipment used and Duties and responsibilities of front office personnel 1. Understand the Lobby Layout 1. List the Advantages of coordination among departments 2. Explain about the Importance of Co-ordination of Front office with different departments in the hotel 1. Identify the need of Developing the Security Program for Security for guests & Hotels 2. Explain the Emergency Procedures, importance of Communication during emergency and importance of Records keeping 1. Importance, Modes, Types, Systems&Process of reservation 2. Group Reservation 3. Understand the procedure of Cancellation, Revision&Selective Overbooking 4. List the different Reservation Reports prepared in Hotels 1. Assignments related to The Topics from Unit 1 to 8 xi

12 xii

13 Unit 1 Hotel organization Contents 1.0 Unit Overview and Description Overview Knowledge and Skill Outcomes Resource Material Learning Outcomes Assessment Plan 1.1 Introduction 1.2 The Organization of a Hotel 1.3 Departments that make a Hotel 1.4 Staff Hierarchy and Organization Structure of Hotel 1.5 Organizing Hotel Departments on the Basis of Revenue 1.6 Let Us Sum Up 1.7 Practical Activities 1.0 Unit Overview and Description Overview: This unit will provide the student information about the definition of a hotel, different departments in the hotel and staff hierarchy structure of a hotel. Knowledge and Skill Outcomes: Definition of a Hotel Understand the organization structure of a hotel Develop awareness about different departments in the hotel and their respective roles Understand the staff hierarchy structure of a hotel Resource material: Hotel Front Office Operations & Management : Jatashankar R. Tiwari Front Office Operations : Colin Dix, Chris Baird Front Office Management : Sushil Kumar Bhatnagar Front Office Management & Operations : Sudhir Andrews 1

14 Front Office Operations & Management : Rakesh Puri Check-in Check-Out Managing Hotel Operations : Gary K. Vallen, Jerome J. Vallen Principles of Hotel Front-Office Operations : Sue Baker, Jeremy Huyton, Pam Bradley Learning Outcomes: Unit 1: Hotel Organization Outcomes 1.1 Introduction General Overview 1.2 The Organization of a Hotel You will be able to define a Hotel and understand the organization of a hotel 1.3 Departments that make a Hotel You will be able to List different departments in a hotel Understand the role of each department in a hotel 1.4 Staff Hierarchy and Organization Structure of Hotel 1.5 Organizing Hotel Departments on the Basis of Revenue You will be able to prepare staff hierarchy chart in a large hotel and a small hotel respectively. Student will be able to classify departments in a hotel on the basis of revenue Assessment Plan: (For the Teachers) Unit Topic Assessment Method Time Plan Remarks 1.1 Introduction Exercise : Question & Answer 1.2 The Organization of a Hotel Exercise : Question & Answer 1.3 Departments that Make a Hotel Exercise : Question & Answer 1.4 Staff Hierarchy and Organization Structure of Hotel 1.5 Organizing Hotel Departments on the Basis of Revenue Exercise : Question & Answer Exercise : Question & Answer 2

15 1.1 Introduction A hotel or an inn is defined by the British Law as a place where a bonafide traveller can receive food and shelter, provided he is in a position to pay for it and is in a fit condition to be received. The Oxford English Dictionary defines hospitality as the reception and entertainment of guests, visitors or strangers with liberality and goodwill. Therefore, the hospitality industry can be defined as the collection of businesses providing accommodation and/or food and beverage to people who are away from home. A hotel may also be defined as a commercial establishment whose primary business is providing lodging facilities for the general public, and which furnishes one or more of the following services: food and beverage, housekeeping, concierge, laundry, health club etc. Q. 1 Define the word Hotel. 1.2 Review Question The Organization of a hotel The hotel clients (called guests in the hospitality industry parlance) receive a wide variety of services and facilities from the hotel. To carry out all the functions effectively and efficiently, the hotel should have a well-organized structure. Such a structure has the following advantages: It facilitates managerial action. It encourages and improves efficiency. It makes communication easier, faster, and more effective. It ensures the optimal use of resources. It stimulates creativity and adherence to conformity. It creates job satisfaction in employees, thus motivating them to excel. It leads to quality services, nurturing brand loyalty in guests, which would ensure the growth of business. Review Question Q. 1 What are the advantages of well organized Hotel? 3

16 1.3 Departments that make a Hotel As an outsider when you look at a hotel, the operation appears to be pretty simple, selling of rooms and your favourite food and beverage. But, actually, hotel is a highly complex operation where several departments function and interact to create a home away from home. Hotel as a functional unit comprises of several departments. The major departments of hotel are as under: Front Office: Housekeeping: Food and Beverage Service: Kitchen: Engineering and Maintenance: Accounts: Security: H R department: Sales and Marketing: Purchase: This department performs various functions like reservation, reception, registration, room assignment, and settlement of bills of a resident guest. The housekeeping department is responsible for the cleanliness, maintenance, and aesthetic upkeep of rooms, public areas, back areas, and surroundings in a hotel. This department looks after the service of food and drinks to guests. All the food and beverages that are served to the hotel guest is prepared in kitchen. It looks after the maintenance of all the equipments, furniture and fixture installed in a hotel. This department maintains all the financial transactions. The security department of a hotel is responsible for the overall security of the hotel building, in-house guests, visitors, day users, and employees of the hotel, and also their belongings. Human Resource department is responsible for the acquisition, utilization, training, and development of the human resources of the hotel. The responsibility of increasing the sales of the hotel s products and services is the major task of the department. The purchase department is responsible for procuring the inventories of all departments of a hotel. Q.1. Review Questions Choose the correct answer: (i) In a hotel there is (a) Food (b) accommodation (c) Beverages (d) all of the above (ii) Recruitment process is conducted by the following department in the hotel (a) Sales and marketing (b) Front Office (c) Maintenance (d) HR Department (iii) A hotel organization helps in (a) Guest satisfaction (b) Communication (c ) Co-ordination (d) all of the above 4

17 Q. 2. Match the following: 1. Hotel 2. Maintenance 3. Purchase 4. Motivating 5. Banquets a. Food and Beverage b. manager c. engineering d. commercial establishment e. procurement Q. 3. Answer the following questions: Q. 1. Define Hotel. Q. 2. List and briefly explain the different departments in a hotel. Q. 3. List the advantages of organizational structure in a hotel. 1.4 Staff hierarchy and organization structure of Hotel 1.4.A : Organization Structure of a Large Hotel Management 5

18 1.4.B : Staff Hierarchy Chart of a Large Hotel General Manager Assistant General Manager Resident Manager Director of housekeeping Front office manager Chief telecommunication operator Chief engineer Director Security Director human resources Director food and beverage Director sales Controller Assistant executive housekeeper Assistant Front office manager telecommunication operator Assistant Chief engineer Supervisors -Recruitment -Benefits -Payroll -Training -Labor relations Assistant F/B director Sales manager Assistant Controller -Account executives Supervisors Assistant manager Supervisor energy management -Security officers Executive chief Convention coordinator F/B Controller Guest room attendants Front desk agents Valet parking -HVAC -Electric -Water Supervisor administration -Inventory -Work orders -Purchasing -Utilities -Tool Supervisor preventative maintenance -Sous chef -Kitchen staff Executive -Steward Restaurant manager -Service staff Convention services manager Director of catering -Banquet -Captains -Purchasing agent -Storeroom staff General cashiers -Front office cashiers -Restaurant cashiers -Timekeeper -Plumbing -Electric -Carpentry -HVAC -Painting -Masonry -Grounds -Television -Upholstery -Pool Beverage director -Bartenders 6

19 1.4.C : Organization Structure of a Small Hotel GENERAL MANAGER FRONT OFFICE ACCOUNTANT F&B SUPERVISOR Front Office Assistants Chef - de Party Bell Boys Cooks Purchase Clerk F & B cost Clerk ENGINEERING SUPERVISOR A/C & Heating Mechanic Plumber Waiters Review Question Q. 1 Draw the Organization structure of a small Hotel. 1.5 Organizing Hotel Departments on the Basis of Revenue On the basis of Revenue there are main three types of departments in a hotel. a) Operating and Revenue producing department. b) Operating and Non - Revenue Producing Department. c) Non- operating and Revenue Producing Department. a) Operating and Revenue Producing Department Major revenue producing department: There are two departments which produce major revenue or more revenue than other departments - F & B department & Rooms. Minor revenue producing department: These departments produce revenue in minor amount. Business center Telephone Health club Laundry B) Operating and Non - Revenue Producing Departments Under this there are those departments which are non- operated by hotel but produce revenue on the basis of rental contract. There are some examples. Sales and marketing H R D 7

20 Accounts Store and receiving Security Maintenance C) Non - Operating and Revenue Producing Departments Under it there are those departments which are non- operated by hotel but produce revenue on the basis of rental contract. There are some examples Shopping arcade Other Rental Income Travel Desk Beauty Parlour Departmental Organization Chart on the Basis of Revenue HOTEL OPERATING & REVENUE PRODUCING DEPARTMENTS OPERATING & NON- REVENUE PRODUCING DEPARTMENTS NON- OPERATING & REVENUE PRODUCING DEPARTMENTS MAINTAINENCE SHOPPING ARCADE MAJOR REVENUE PRODUCING DEPARTMENT MINOR REVENUE PRODUCING DEPARTMENT H R D SALES & MARKETING ACCOUNTS SECURITY STORE BEAUTY PARLOUR TRAVEL DESK OTHER RENTAL F&B ROOM BUSSINESS CENTRE TELEPHONE LAUNDRY HEALTH CLUB 8

21 Review Questions Q. 1. Fill in the blanks: (a) and are the two major revenue producing departments in a hotel. (b) Front office and are a part of rooms division. (c) Executive is the head of the department for kitchen department. (d) Laundry is a revenue producing department. Q. 2. Answer the following: Q. 1. Draw Staff Organization chart of a large hotel. Q. 2. Compare the Organization Structure of a large and small hotel. Q. 3. Explain the Departmental Organization of a hotel on the basis of revenue. Q. 4. Discuss the concept of Non-operating and revenue producing departments. 1.6 Let us sum up: Hotels regardless of size are organized by functions that include general hotel management, Front office, House keeping, Food Production, F & B Service, Accounts, Engineering, HRD, Sales and Marketing, Human Resource Department, etc. All these departments work independently but in close co-ordination with each other to run a professional hotel. Staff hierarchy chart of hotels vary from one property to another on the basis of organization policy and on the basis of the size of operation. In modern times, hotels have a lot of emphasis on multi-tasking which has resulted in one person doing the job of different lateral levels depending upon the requirement of the time. Departments in a hotel may also be organized on the basis of their revenue contribution to the hotel. Rooms and Food & Beverage are considered as major revenue producing departments of the hotel. Hotels also have minor revenue producing department and non revenue producing departments. 1.7 Practical Activities Activity I: Students to write on a paper their experience of visiting a hotel and a restaurant. They should discuss the difference they found in the product and services of the two. Activity II: Draw the staff hierarchy of a large hotel and present it to the class in a team of four students. Activity III: Draw the Management organization chart of a large hotel and present it to the class in a team of four students. Activity IV: Draw the departmental organization chart on the basis of revenue and present it in the class. Activity V: Discuss in the class room about the staff positions which may be eliminated in a medium size hotel and a small size hotel respectively. 9

22 Activity VI: Discuss in the class room the advantages and disadvantages of multitasking by staff members in a hotel. Assume that you are the Front office manager of a hotel, from your perspective, what are the advantages and disadvantages of working in a large hotel with specialized positions in comparison to a small hotel where many positions are combined into one position. Activity VII: Worksheet Students to classify the following departments on the basis of revenue and write in the column. Department Classification Front Office Engineering & maintenance Kitchen Shopping Arcade Food & beverage service Accounts Human resource Sales & marketing Purchase Travel Desk Business Center 10

23 UNIT 2 Hotel Rooms Contents 2.0 Unit Overview and Description Overview Knowledge and Skill Outcomes Resource Material Learning Outcomes Assessment Plan 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Classification of Guest Rooms 2.3 Types of Hotel Rooms 2.4 Let Us Sum Up 2.5 Practical Activities 2.0 Unit Overview and Description Overview: This unit will provide the student information about the basis of classifying rooms in a hotel, different types of hotel rooms and their features. Knowledge and Skill Outcomes: Basis of classifying hotel rooms Different types of rooms in accommodation industry Identification features of different types of rooms Resource Material: Hotel Front Office Operations & Management : Jatashankar R. Tiwari Front Office Operations : Colin Dix, Chris Baird Front Office Management : Sushil Kumar Bhatnagar Front Office Management & Operations : Sudhir Andrews Front Office Operations & Management : Rakesh Puri Check-in Check-Out Managing Hotel Operations : Gary K. Vallen, Jerome J. Vallen Principles of Hotel Front-Office Operations : Sue Baker, Jeremy Huyton, Pam Bradley 11

24 Learning Outcomes: Unit 2: Hotel Rooms Outcomes 2.1 Introduction General Overview 2.2 Classification of Guest Rooms You will be able to understand the basis of classifying rooms in hotels 2.3 Types of Hotel Rooms You will be able to List different types of hotel rooms Differentiate among hotel rooms Will be able to rationalize the need for a specific type of room in a hotel Assessment Plan: (For the Teachers) Unit Topic Assessment Method Time Plan Remarks 2.1 Introduction Exercise : Question & Answer 2.2 Classification of Guest Rooms Exercise : Question & Answer 2.3 Types of Hotel Rooms Exercise : Question & Answer 2.1 Introduction The accommodation product does not just consist of a guest room - single or double, but also the additional facilities and services, which are applicable to that room. For example, does the room have a sea view? Is there mini-bar? Are there in-house movies? Can a guest dial direct from the room? Is there room service? Can the guest have access to the Internet? All these services, facilities and amenities may be included in the accommodation product of a hotel. Since the accommodation product normally cannot be examined before purchase, guests are reliant upon the front office staff to describe the product to them accurately. It is, therefore, particularly important for the front office staff to have full knowledge of what is included in the accommodation package of a hotel. Review Question Q. 1 Why is it important for the front office staff to have full knowledge of what is included in the accommodation package of a hotel. 2.2 Classification of Guest Rooms To cater to the different needs of their customers, hotels usually provide a variety of accommodation. In other words, a hotel offers different types of guest-rooms for sale. Hotel guest-rooms can be classified in a number of ways depending on the following: According to the number or size of beds in the room 12

25 The room size, the decor and the view Special accommodation such as the executive floor for business people, non smoking rooms, and presidential suites for VIPs Review Question Q. 1 What are the number of ways Hotel Guest-Rooms can be classified? 2.3 Types of Hotel Rooms Some of the commonly found rooms in accommodation industry are listed as below: Single Room: It is the room which provides single occupancy. This room only has single bed. The size of the bed is normally 3ft x 6 ½ft. Most hotels have twin or double rooms and charge for single room of occupied by one person. Double Room: It is the room which provides double occupancy. This room has double bed. The size of the double bed is 5 feet by 6 feet. Triple Room: It is the room which provides occupancy for 3 people. Either it has 2 double & 1 single bed or 3 single beds. This type of rooms is suitable for groups and delegates of meetings and conferences. Quad Room: It is the room which provides occupancy for four guests. Either it has four single beds or two singles & one double bed. Twin Room: It is the room which is meant for double occupancy. These rooms have two single beds separated by a bed - side table. Hollywood Room: It is the room which provides double occupancy. It has two single beds close to each other with a common head - board. Studio Room: It is a living or sitting room. It has a sofa-cum-bed. Parlor Room: It is designed with the minimum basic requirement to live. It does not have the facilities of a bed room and hence used only for day use purpose. Cabana Room: It is the room which is situated near swimming pool or sea beach. This room is used for changing purpose. It has facilities for a shower, lockers, wooden benches, etc. Suite Room: Suite Room is a combination of one or more bedrooms & a drawing room. It may also contain a bar & small kitchen. The decor of such units is of very high standards, aimed to please the affluent guests who can afford the high tariffs of the room category. According to the design and market segment hotels give different names to suites like honeymoon suite, Executive suite, Deluxe suite, Maharaja suite etc. Penthouse: A room that opens onto the roof & may be accompanied by a swimming pool, patio, a tennis court, & other facilities & amenities. It has very opulent decor and furnishings and is among the costliest rooms in the hotels, preferred by celebrities and affluent people. 13

26 Executive Room: A room that has a large bedroom with a sitting area provided with chairs & usually a sofa & coffee table. This is really a combination bedroom-cum-sitting room. Sometimes, a temporary wooden partition may be provided between the sitting area and bed room space. They are also known as junior suites. Lanai Room: It provides a large balcony attached with the room. From the balcony one gets a view of natural scenic beauty likes sea beach, mountain, valley etc. They are usually found in resort hotels. Duplex Room: They are two rooms at different levels inter connected through internal staircase. Usually one room is used as drawing room and other as bed room. This room is generally used by business men who wish to use the lower level as an office and meeting place and the upper level room as a bedroom. Hospitality Room: It is used by the guest to entertain his or her guests. It is hired on hourly basis and has facilities such as sofa sets, dining table, T.V, mini bar etc. Interconnecting Rooms: These are two rooms connected to each other by one interconnecting door. These rooms are preferred by groups and families. Adjoining Room: These rooms are situated next to each other sharing a common wall between them. These rooms may be given to the groups. Queen Room: A room has a queen size bed. The size of the bed is 5 feet by 6 & ½ feet. An extra bed may be added to this room on the request of a guest and charged accordingly. King Room: A king room has king size bed. The size of the bed is 6 feet by 6 & ½ feet. An extra bed may be added to this room on the request of a guest and charged accordingly. Double-Double Room: A double- double room has two double beds and is normally preferred by a family or group as it can accommodate four persons together. This room is usually preferred by families and is also known as family room and twin double room. Efficiency Room: Efficiency room is a room with a pantry/kitchen for basic cooking facility Twin Room 14 Double Room

27 Hollywood Twin Room Suite Room Lanai Room Penthouse Room Hospitality Room Duplex Room 15

28 Single Room Double - Double Room Fig : Interconnected and adjoining /adjacent rooms Room number 2 and 3 are interconnected while room number 13 and 14 are adjoining rooms. 16

29 Review Questions Q. 1. Fill in the blanks:(a) Room situated near swimming pool is known as. (b) Lanai room has an attached. (c) Quad room has beds. (d) Rooms have common wall between them. (e) room has an attached kitchen. Q. 2. Match the following: (i) Hollywood Twin (Ii) Duplex Room (Iii) Penthouse (Iv) Twin Double (v) Lanai a. Resort b. Roof Top b. Common Head Board d. Staircase e. Family Room Q. 3. Answer the following questions: Q. 1. Write the different ways in which Hotel Rooms can be classified. Q. 2. List any ten types of rooms you will find in a hotel. Q. 3. What is the difference between a Lanai room and an Efficiency room? Q. 4. What do you understand by suite? Q. 5. Differentiate between Adjoining rooms and Interconnecting rooms? 2.4 Let us Sum up Room is the main product of a hotel as they are primarily in the business of selling accommodation in addition to Food and Beverage. Front office personnel must be familiar with the types of rooms in the hotel and their features. Depending upon the target market of the hotel, a room mix is planned at the project stage. Receptionist should be able to suggest the room to the guest after assessing his requirement and his paying capacity. Common types of rooms offered by five star hotels include Single, Double, Twin, Suite, Pent house, Duplex, Lanai, Inter connecting room, etc. 2.5 Practical Activities Activity I: Each student to prepare a model of any one type of guest room in a hotel and present it to the rest of class with explanation of its unique features. Activity II: In a group of four students to prepare a chart depicting four different types of rooms keeping in view the dimensions of beds and other facilities. Activity III: Group discussion on the relationship between type of hotel and the type of rooms offered by that type of hotel. Activity IV: Discussion on alternative type of room which may be offered to the guest if his desired type of room is not available in the hotel. 17

30 UNIT 3 Meal Plans and Basis of Charging Contents 3.0 Unit Overview and Description Overview Knowledge and skill outcomes Resource Material Learning Outcomes Assessment Plan 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Meal Plans 3.3 Comparing the Meal Plans 3.4 Basis of charging 3.5 Tariff Card 3.6 Let Us Sum Up 3.7 Practical Activities 3.0 Unit Overview and Description Overview: This unit will equip the student to differentiate between different types of meal plans offered by hotels as part of their room tariff package. The unit also enables him to know the different basis of charging and the concept of a tariff card. Knowledge and Skill Outcomes: different types of meal plans and their comparative analysis Different basis of charging room tariff Tariff card and its utility Resource Material: Hotel Front Office Operations & Management : Jatashankar R. Tiwari Front Office Operations : Colin Dix, Chris Baird Front Office Management : Sushil Kumar Bhatnagar Front Office Management & Operations : Sudhir Andrews Front Office Operations & Management : Rakesh Puri Check-in Check-Out Managing Hotel Operations : Gary K. Vallen, Jerome J. Vallen Principles of Hotel Front-Office Operations : Sue Baker, Jeremy Huyton, Pam Bradley 18

31 Learning Outcomes: Unit 3: Meal Plans and Basis of Charging Outcomes 3.1 Introduction General Overview 3.2 Meal Plans You will be able to understand the concept of meal plans The unit will enable you to list different types of meal plans and to understand the features of each one of them 3.3 Comparing the Meal Plans You will be able to compare the different meal plans and their features. 3.4 Basis of charging You will be able to list and understand the different basis of charging the room tariff to the hotel guests. 3.5 Tariff Card Sample tariff card will illustrate its usage and will equip you to plan the tariff card of a hotel Assessment Plan: (For the Teachers) Unit Topic Introduction Meal Plans Comparing the Meal Plans Basis of charging Tariff Card Assessment Method Time Plan Remarks Exercise : Question & Answer Exercise : Question & Answer Exercise : Question & Answer Exercise : Question & Answer Exercise : Question & Answer Introduction When you visit a hotel and ask for the room tariff, you may get a reply like it is Rs. 2000/. What do you understand by this information? Actually nothing! This information is incomplete till the time you know about the meals that are included in Rs.2000/-, the duration for which Rs. 2000/- will be charged, the type of room provided in this amount, whether the amount is inclusive of taxes or exclusive of it. The requisite information mentioned above is recorded in a document known as Hotel Tariff Card which tells us about the type of rooms, tariff, meal plan, basis of charging and tax structure. Q. 1 What is Hotel Tariff Card? Review Question 19

32 3.2 Meal Plans The room tariff of a hotel may be based on the choice meal plans offered to guests. Depending on the needs of their target audience, hotels offer a variety of meal plans, they are: (a) European Plan (E.P.): This plan includes only the room rent and anything that is taken from restaurant or the room service is charged to the guest. (b) Continental Plan (C.P.): This plan includes continental breakfast along with the room rent. Anything extra that is taken is charged to the guest. (c) Bermuda Plan (B.P.): This plan includes American breakfast along with the room rent. (d) Modified American plan (M.A.P.): This plan includes room rent along with breakfast and one of the major meals i.e. Lunch or Dinner. The guest has to specify his preference at the time of arrival. This plan is also known as half board plan or Demi Pension. (e) American plan (A.P.): This plan contains room rent and all the major meals i.e. breakfast, lunch and dinner. It is also known as all inclusive plan and in French it is known as En Pension. European plan : In this case only the lodging i.e. bed is offered. Thus the charges are made for lodging only. The client is free to take or not to take tea, breakfast, and meals in the hotel. He has a choice of eating at any other good restaurant. The guest is booked to pay for lodging only and is charged separately for all other things or services he enjoys or consumes. This system is generally followed by youth hostels or hotels which are situated in metropolitan cities. European plan hotels fix the prices of rooms separately so that guest may either have their meals in the hotel dining at its regular prices or go to the other restaurant. In India most of the hotels are being run on European Plan. Continental plan In the case of continental plan bed and breakfast are included in the charges. Thus bed is offered along with breakfast and the client is, however, free to take his meal and tea as he likes. Thus the guest tariff includes lodging and breakfast and for other he is separately billed. American plan Hotel where American plan is prevalent, board lodging is provided in the charge. The tariff fixed includes board and lodging. It is an all inclusive full board tariff. Accommodation and three meals daily are included in the price of the room. It includes bed, breakfast and two principal meals and evening tea. It does not include EMT nor coffee after lunch, or dinner. It is also known as En pension or full board plan. 20

33 This means that guest s day ends about 24 hours after his arrival that is; the guest arriving between lunch and dinner is entitled to retain his room until the next afternoon and to have dinner the first night and breakfast and lunch the following day for the fixed rate. Modified American plan The tourists mostly prefer this plan, as it is comparatively flexible. It is offered in most of the good hotels and is normally by arrangement. It includes hotel accommodation, breakfast and either lunch or dinner in the price of the room. Thus, in this type of accommodation bed and breakfast and along with it one principal meal, lunch or dinner, at the discretion of the client is also included. It generally includes continental breakfast and either lunch or dinner in the room rates. It is also known as Demi-Pension. Review Question Q. 1 Define the variety of Meal Plans a Hotel can offer. 3.3 Comparing the meal plans Meal Plan Other Name Inclusions Preferred by European Plan Room only Plan Room only Business Hotels, Transit Hotels, Motels Continental Plan Bed & Breakfast Plan Room + Continental Breakfast Business Hotels Bermuda Plan Bed & Breakfast Plan Room + American Breakfast Hotels with lot of sight seeing around such as historical/ heritage destinations American Plan Full Board / En Pension Room + Continental Resorts Breakfast + Lunch + Dinner Modified American Plan Half Board/ DemiPension Room + Continental Breakfast + Lunch/ Dinner Resorts Uses of Meal Plans Commercial hotels prefer E.P. because: 1) Since the commercial hotels are situated in urban areas, there are bound to be numerous restaurants in the vicinity. Hence the guest would prefer to keep his option open as far as meals are concerned. Moreover, the hotel may not have a particular cuisine, which the guest likes. Secondly, the business traveler does not want to get tied up to meal timings because of his day round business activities. 2) On the other hand the hotel being situated in an urban area would get a plenty of chance guests in 21

34 their restaurants. Thus their food and beverage income is not restricted to only hotel residents. They do offer meal inclusive plans but only to groups sent by Travelers Agents and company bookings for conventions, seminars etc. Resort Hotels prefer MAP/AP because: 1) These may be situated in an isolated place with hardly any restaurants in the vicinity. Guests, therefore, would prefer to have meals in the hotels. For tourist wishing to go site seeing during the day, MAP would be more appropriate. 2) The hotel itself benefit from this plan since it relies only on resident guests for their food and beverage income. The continental Plan lies between the A.P. and E.P. thus, it may be offered by commercial hotels as well as resort hotels as an alternative to the E.P. and M.A.P. Review Questions Q. 1. Fill in the blanks: (a) Room rent and continental breakfast are included in. (b) American plan is also known as. (c) American breakfast and room rent is included in. (d) is also known as demi-pension. Q. 2. State True or False: (a) Continental plan includes lunch and breakfast. (b) Bermuda plan is also known as European plan. (c) Full Board plan is American plan. Q. 3. Answer the following questions Q. 1. Illustrate the different types of meal plan with the help of a chart. Q. 2. What type of meal plan is preferred by Resorts and why? 3.4 Basis of Charging There are different basis of charging room tariff which decide the duration for which a guest can stay in his room by paying one unit of the charge. Different basis of charging commonly followed are listed as below: (I) Fixed Check Out Time Basis: In this system a particular time of the day is fixed as check in/out time. It may be either hrs or 12 noon. Mostly the hotels follow 1200 hours check in/out time. It is the most commonly followed basis of charging as it gives them a control of their check-in and check-out time and thereby enabling them to accept advance bookings for their rooms. This is advantage to our hotels as it earns more revenue for the hotel. It has a major disadvantage of losing its goodwill as the customers are not satisfied with the billing. For example suppose a guest checks in at hrs of 17th. November and checks out at 1400 hrs of 18th November and the check-out time is 12 Noon, then 22

35 he will be charged for 3 days. Thus we see that even though he is staying for just one day and 4 hours but he is charged for 3 days. (II) Twenty Four Hours Check out Time Basis: In this system the guest is charged according to the time of arrival that means that one day is calculated from the time he arrives in hotel till the same time next day. This is advantageous to the guest but earns less revenue to the hotel, for example let us consider same example as given above through this system he will be charged only for 2 days. In twenty four hours check out time basis hotels find it difficult to take advance bookings as they don t know what time of the day their rooms will be available for the next guest. (III) Night Basis: In this system guest is charged according to the number of nights he spent in the hotel. This system is usually found in resort hotels. In order to calculate night basis charges the guest should have stayed for a minimum period of nights. For example suppose a guest checks in hrs on 17th November and checks out at hrs on 25th Nov. then he will be charged for 8 nights. (IV) Day Rate Or Day Used Rate Basis: It is another form evolved from night basis and room rent is charged for maximum 6 hours included in the stay which is never overnight. Review Question Q. 1 List and explain the different basis of charging room tariff in a Hotel. 3.5 Tariff Card Room Tariff Check out time 12 Noon Type Non A.C. Rs./day Deluxe Room 1350 Deluxe Executive Room 1650 Executive Room --Super Executive Suite --Prince of Wales Suite --The Royale Suite --Maharaja Suite --Extra Person/Child Above 5 Year 300 Rates subject to revision without notice, Service charges and taxes extra as applicable. A.C. Rs./day TARIFF EFFECTIVE FROM Above rates on European plan. Check-out time: 12 Noon. 23

36 Review Questions Q. 1. Fill in the blanks: (a) The document in which meal plan and room rate is printed is known as Card. (b) (c) Usually, the check-out time of the hotels is noon. If a guest checks-in at 9 am and checks out at 6 pm the next day, he will be charged three day tariff in a 12 noon check-out basis. Q. 2. Answer the following questions : Q. 1. List the different basis of charging. Explain 24 hrs basis in detail. Q. 2. What is a tariff card? Q. 3. Check-out time basis is the most commonly used system of charging in hotels Elaborate? 3.6 Let us Sum up Room tariff is a complex issue which does not include just the charge for a room. It has a component of the meal plan which suggests the meals included in the charged tariff. Different meal plans include European, Continental, American, Modified American and Bermuda plan. Depending upon the meal plan breakfast and main meals may or may not be included in the room tariff. Basis of charging refers to the duration for which a single unit tariff is charged. It may be 24 hrs, Night basis or a check-out time basis. Details of meal plan and basis of charging along with types of rooms, facilities, tax structure, child policy are specified in a document known as tariff card. Activity I: Activity II: 3.7 Practical Activities Students to perform a role play interacting as a group of guests and front office personnel discussing the contents of different meal plans offered by the hotel and their applicability depending upon the specific requirement of each guest. Work sheet Fill the following in given chart Room only Plan, Bed & Breakfast Plan, Room + American Breakfast, Room + Continental Breakfast+ Lunch+ Dinner, Resorts. Meal Plan Other Name Inclusions Preferred by European Plan Room only Business hotel, Transit hotel, Motels Continental Plan Room + Continental Breakfast Business Hotels 24

37 Bermuda Plan Bed & Breakfast Plan Hotels with lot of sightseeing around such as historical /heritage destinations American Plan Full Board / En Pension Resorts Modified American Plan Half Board/ Room + Continental Demi-Pension Breakfast + Lunch/ Dinner Resorts Activity III: Group discussion on relative merits and demerits of Check out time basis of charging and 24 hrs basis of charging. Activity IV: A guest checked in at hrs and checked out at the next day. According to the 12 noon check-out time basis he is to be charged for three days. Enact a role play on the ensuing argument between the guest and the cashier and the explanation provided by the hotel to the guest on this system of charging. Activity V: Students should visit nearby hotels and collect tariff cards from the reception. Each student should design a tariff card of Hotel ABC on the basis of his own creativity. Activity VI: Role play by two Students one as a Guest and other one as a Receptionist. Receptionist: Sir, Welcome to Taj hotel. How can I assist you. Guest: Well I need room for 3-days. Receptionist: Sir, what kind of room you are looking for. May I know about your requirements and may I know your good name please. Guest: I am R.K. Ravi from Chennai. Guest: Well I am looking for a family room. Receptionist: sir may I know how many persons are there in your family. Guest: Sure. We are four members. Myself, my wife and two kids. Receptionist: Sir can you please tell me the age of your children? Guest: Yes, of course, my daughter is 10 year old, and my son is 5 year old. Receptionist: May I know your purpose of visit please. Guest: well I have come here for sight seeing. Receptionist: Mr. Ravi as you have said you need room for 3-days,so the check out date would be on 16th December. Guest: Yes today is 13th December and I will check out on 16th morning at 10 am 25

38 Receptionist: Sir I can offer you suite room which will have drawing room and living room separate and the price of the room is Rs 35,000 all inclusive of tax and food. Our check out time is 12 noon. Guest: Well I think it is very expensive for me. Receptionist: Not at all sir because the room cost and food all inclusive (all three meals) this is a package for your family we are offering you. Guest: Can you show me the tariff card. Receptionist: yes, sure sir. Now the guest goes through the tariff card in which the details of meal plan and other facilities of hotel are mentioned. After going through the tariff card he is satisfied and informs the receptionist to book the suite all inclusive. Receptionist: Sir please fills up the registration card, and can I have your identity proof. Guest: Oh yes! Here is my Driving License Receptionist checks all details of the filled registration card and mention the room no in G.R.C as 506 and informs the guest that he will be escorted by the bell boy along with his luggage. Receptionist: Have a pleasant stay with us. 26

39 UNIT 4 Front Office Contents 4.0 Unit Overview and Description Overview Knowledge and skill outcomes Resource Material Learning Outcomes Assessment Plan 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Staffing the Front Office 4.3 Staff Hierarchy chart of a large and medium sized hotel 4.4 Sections of front Office Department 4.5 Functional organization of Front Office Department 4.6 Equipment used in Front Office 4.7 Duties and responsibilities of Front Office Personnel 4.8 Let Us Sum Up 4.9 Practical Activities 4.0 Unit Overview and Description Overview: This unit will provide information to the student on organization of front office department in terms of its staff hierarchy and functional structure. Student will be able to know the duties and responsibilities of front office personnel at different levels. The unit will also enable him to list the equipments used in a manual, semi-automated and fully automated operation and the respective usage of these equipments. Knowledge and Skill Outcomes: Staff hierarchy of front office department in a large and medium size hotel Different sections of front office department and their functions Equipments used in front office department in a manual, semi-automated and fully-automated operation. Resource Material: Hotel Front Office Operations & Management : Jatashankar R. Tiwari 27

40 Front Office Operations : Colin Dix, Chris Baird Front Office Management : Sushil Kumar Bhatnagar Front Office Management & Operations : Sudhir Andrews Front Office Operations & Management : Rakesh Puri Check-in Check-Out Managing Hotel Operations : Gary K. Vallen, Jerome J. Vallen Principles of Hotel Front-Office Operations : Sue Baker, Jeremy Huyton, Pam Bradley Learning Outcomes: Unit 4 : Front Office Outcomes 4.1 Introduction General Overview 4.2 Staffing the Front Office In this section, you will get a broad overview of the staff organization of front office department in a hotel. 4.3 Staff Hierarchy chart of a large and medium size hotel 4.4 Sections of front office department 4.5 Functional organization of Front Office Department You will be able to draw the staff hierarchy chart of a large and medium size hotel. You will be able to list all the sections of front office. This unit will enable you to understand the functions of each section in front office department. 4.6 Equipment used in front office You will be able to list, differentiate and understand the usage of equipments used in front office department in manual, semi-automated and automated operation respectively. 4.7 Duties and responsibilities of front Office Personnel Assessment Plan: (For the Teachers) This section details the duties, responsibilities, educational qualification, and reporting officer for different job positions in front office department. Unit Topic Assessment Method Time Plan Remarks 4.1 Introduction Exercise : Question & Answer 4.2 Staffing the Front Office Exercise : Question & Answer 4.3 Staff Hierarchy chart of a large Exercise : Question & Answer and medium sized hotel 4.4 Sections of Front Office Exercise : Question & Answer Department 4.5 Functional Organization of Exercise : Question & Answer Front Office Department 4.6 Equipment used in Front Exercise : Question & Answer Office 4.7 Duties and responsibilities of Front Office Personnel Exercise : Question & Answer 28

41 4.1 Introduction The Front Office truly is the nerve center of a hotel. It can be defined as a front of the house department located around the foyer and the lobby area of a hospitality property. As this department is located around the foyer area of the hotel and is visible to the guests, patrons and visitors, they are collectively called Front Office. It is one of the major operational and revenue producing departments of the hotel which generates two third of the revenue earned by a hotel from the sale of the guestrooms. It involve in providing valuable services to the guests during the entire guest cycle consisting of Pre-arrival, Arrival, Occupancy and Departure. Importance of Front Office Traditional Front Office functions include reservation, registration, room and rate assignment, guest services, room status, maintenance and settlement of guest account, and creation of guest history records. The Front Office develops and maintains a comprehensive database of guest information, coordinates guest services, and ensures guest satisfaction. These functions are accomplished by personal in diverse areas of Front Office Department. Front office is also known as the face of the hotel. It is the first guest contact area and also the nerve center of the hotel. All the activities and areas of the front office are geared towards supporting guest transaction and services. The major functions that are performed by the front office department are: a) Reservation and registration of rooms & rate assignment b) Fulfills Guest Services and Updates Room Status c) Maintains & Settles Guest Accounts d) Creates Guest History Records e) Develops & maintains a Comprehensive Database of Guest Information f) Coordinates Guest Services Review Questions Q. 1. Fill in the blanks: (a) Front office is also known as the center of the Hotel (b) On an average rooms division is estimated to generate revenue for a Hotel (c) Guest cycle consists of pre-arrival and 4.2 Staffing the Front Office In order to carry out its mission, goals and objectives, every company shall build a formal structure depicting different hierarchy of management, supervision, and employee (staff) levels. This very structure is referred to as organization chart. Moreover, the organization chart shows reporting relationships, span of management, and staff/line functions. The Front Office organization chart shall be designed according to Functions. Doing so not only enhances the control the Front Office has over its Operations, but also provides guests with more specialized attention. Such a division according to functions, however, is not practical in middle and small size hotels 29

42 due to the fact that these very hotels don t posses enough and sufficient monetary resources to ensure the existence of at least three jobholders (i.e. one for each shift) for each job position. Therefore, in middle size hotels, a front office agent might be responsible for more than one work position. This is ensured via cross training. On the other hand, in small size hotels, one or two front office agents might be responsible for all front office activities. Staff positions under the Rooms Division Department: Front Desk Agent: Registers guests, and maintains room availability information. Cashier: Maintains and settles guest folios, and properly checks out guests. Night Auditor: Controls the job of the Accounts Receivable Clerk, and prepares daily reports to management (ex: Occupancy Report and Revenue Report). Mail & Information Clerk: Takes Messages, provides Directions to Guests, and maintains Mail. Telephone Operator: Manages the Switch board and coordinates Wake-up Calls. Reservation Agent: Responds to Reservation Requests and creates Reservation Records. Uniformed Service Agents: Handles Guest Luggage, escorts Guests to their Rooms, and assists guests for any bit of information requested. Receptionist 30 Door man Bell boy

43 Review Question Q. 1. List the major staff positions under the rooms division department with a one line description of each. 4.3 Staff Hierarchy chart of a large and medium sized hotel Hierarchy chart: Large Hotel 31

44 Hierarchy Chart : Medium Sized Hotel Review Questions Q. 1. Match the following: (1) Night Auditor a. V.I.P Guest (2) Cashier b. Uniformed Service (3) Duty Manager c. Bill (4) Bell Captain d. Lobby Manager (5) G.R.E e. Revenue Report Q. 2. Answer the following questions: Q. 1. Draw the Staff organization chart of front office for a large hotel. Q. 2. Write major functions of front office department. 32

45 4.4 Sections of front office department Following sections in a hotel together form what we call the front office department of a hotel: (1) Reservation (2) Reception (3) Information Desk (4) Cash and Bills (5) Travel Desk (6) Telephone Section (7) Uniformed Services (8) Bell Desk (9) Concierge Review Question Q. 1 List the sections in a hotel which are together known as the front office. 4.5 (a) Functional organization of Front Office Department Reception This section of the front office receives and welcomes guest on their arrival in the hotel. It is headed by a supervisor and comprise a team of receptionist of front desk assistant. After finishing the registration, a room is assigned to the guest and a bell boy carries the luggage and escorts the guest to his her room. The entire process is carried out professionally in warm and friendly atmosphere. Functions of Reception: The following functions are performed by the reception section of a hotel: (1) Receiving and welcoming guests. (2) Completing the registration formalities. (3) Assigning the room. (4) Sending arrival notification slips to the concerned departments. 33

46 (b) Information Desk As the name suggests, the information desk provides information to guests. It is manned by an information assistant. In a small hotel, the same function may be performed by the receptionist. The need of a separate information desk is felt in large hotels where the traffic of guests is higher. Functions of Information Desk: Some of the functions of the information desk are as under: (1) Maintaining resident guest rack. (2) Handling guest room keys. (3) Coordinating guest mails, telegrams, faxes, couriers, parcels, etc. (4) Providing information to guests regarding hotel facilities and services, city information, etc. (5) Handling guests messages. (6) Paging (c) Reservation The reservation sections of the front office department of a hotel are responsible for receiving and processing reservation queries. Depending upon the level of automation, volume of business and house customs the procedure of processing reservations handling, maintenance of reservation, records, confirmation, and cancellation are handled. This department is also known as back office as it is situated at back area and not visible to guest. Functions of the reservation section: This section performs the following tasks: (1) Receiving reservation requests through various means like telephone, fax, or central reservation departments. (2) Processing reservation request received from all means on the property management system. (3) Updating the room availability status after such each reservation transaction. (4) Maintaining and updating reservation records to reflect accurate information about room status. (5) Preparing reservation reports for the management. 34

47 (d) Cash and Bills The cash and bills section records all the monetary transactions of guests. It maintains guest folios and prepares the guest bills to be settled by the guest at the time of departure. This section is headed by a cashier. Functions of the Cash and Bills Section: This section performs the following tasks: (1) Opening and maintaining of guest folios. (2) Posting room charges in guest folios. (3) Recording all credit charges in guest folios. (4) Maintaining a record of the cash received from guests. (5) Preparing bills at the time of check-out. (6) Receiving cash/tc/demand draft for account settlement. (7) Handling credit/debit/charge cards for the settlement of a guest account. (8) Organizing foreign currency exchange for the settlement of a guest account. (e) Telephone 35

48 The telephone section maintains the communication network of the hotel, which is generally quite complex. The hotel may have its own private branch exchange (PBX), along with post and telegraph lines. Functions of Communication Desk : The duties of the telephone operator include: (1) Answering incoming calls. (2) Directing calls to guest rooms through the switch board/epabx. (3) Providing information on guest services. (4) Processing guest wake-up calls. (5) Answering inquiries about hotel facilities and events. (6) Protecting guests privacy. (7) Coordinating emergency communication. (f) Travel Desk The travel desk takes care of travel arrangements of guests, like air-ticketing, railway reservations, sightseeing tours, airport or railway station pick up or drop, etc. The hotel may operate the travel desk or it may be outsourced to an external travel agency. Functions of Travel Desk : The travel desk performs the following tasks: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) 36 Arranging pick-up and drop services for guests at the time of their arrival and departure. Providing vehicles on request to guests at pre-determined rates. Making travel arrangements like railway reservation/air-tickets. Organizing half-day or full-day sightseeing. Arranging for guides who can communicate in the guest s language.

49 (g) Bell Desk Paging Board Bell Desk The bell desk is located very close to the main entrance of the hotel. This section is headed by a bell captain, who leads a team of bell boys and page boys. Functions of bell desk: The bell desk is responsible for the following tasks: (1) Handling guest luggage at the time of arrival and departure. (2) Escorting guests to their rooms on arrival. (3) Familiarizing guests about safety features and in-room facilities. (4) Making sundry purchases for the guest. (5) At request keeps guest luggage in the left luggage room. (h) Concierge The concept of concierges came from the days of European royalty. The concierge was the castle door keeper in those times. His duty was to ensure that all castle occupants were safe in their rooms at night. A concierge is often expected to achieve the impossible 37

50 Functions of concierge : The concierge provides the following services to guests: (1) Making reservations for dining in famous restaurants. (2) Obtaining tickets for theatres, musicals, sporting events. (3) Arranging for transportation by limousine, car, coaches, buses, airplanes, or trains. (4) Providing information on cultural and social events like photo exhibitions, art shows etc. Review Questions Q.1 Match the following: (1) Concierge a. Paging (2) Bell Desk b. Reservations (3) Guest Folio c. Reception (4) Advance Booking d. Theatre Tickets (5) Key Handling e. Cashier Q.2 Fill in the blanks: a) Newspaper is distributed by. b) Guest registration is done by. c) Wake up call are given by. d) Reception assigns the to. e) Bell desk handles the. Q.3 Answer the following questions: Q. 1. Write functions of concierge. Q. 2. What do you understand by EPABX? Q. 3. What is the difference between the reservation and reception section of the office department? 4.6 Equipment used in front office (A) Manual equipments: Whitney Rack: This system of room reservation, developed by the American Whitney Duplicating Check Company, is suitable for small and medium properties with up to 150 rooms. It is based on the use of standard size slips, known as Whitney slips or Shannon slips, which can be held on a metallic carrier on Whitney racks. The racks and carriers can be used over and over again. The running expense is only of the slips. The Whitney racks are placed vertically, saving storage space. Information rack: It is important device position in the front desk and is used by the front desk agents to track the various in house guest of the hotel. The information contain is arranged alphabetically and consists of the following. a. Name of the guest. b. Number of the room. 38

51 c. Type of the room occupied. d. Rate of guest room. e. Date of arrival and departure. f. Billing instructions. Mail and message rack: It is wooden frame work containing an array of pigeon holes (wooden rack in square shape to leave message). Each pigeon hole is used to store various mail and message received for in house guests. Key racks: Key racks are front office equipment located underneath the counter of the front desk. It is a wooden or metallic frame work containing slots for keeping the keys of the guest in sequential order of the guests present in their rooms. Folio bucket: It is an equipment which contains large number of slots where one can keep folios arranged sequentially according to the room number. This folio well is used to store and track the folio of the various registered guest. (B) Semi Automated equipments: Accounting posting machine: It is very essential equipments used for posting the various charges on the accounts of the guest. The posting machine is generally used to calculate the total of the guest accounts and transactions. Cash register: It is generally used by the front desk to record the various sundry sales at the front desk such as stamps, newspaper, candy etc. 39

52 Wake up devices: These devices are used by telephone department to remind the staff of awakening of the guest at requested time. The most common wake up devices is known as James remind-o (a kind of alarm clock with pull pin system). Credit card imprinter: This equipment is used when especially guest presents credit card, at the time of their arrivals or departure to settle their bill. It is used to make an imprint of the credit card used by the guest as a mode of payment. Type writer: Are used for preparing various documents related to the front office operations and also related to the guest. (C) Automated Equipments Fax machine: Fax (Facsimile automatic Xerox machine) this machine is used through telephone lines and are used to receive and sent official documents. The operator dials the destination fax machine number and then sends the fax message inserting the message page into the machine. 40 Credit card validater: It is also known as EDC or electronic data capturing machine. It is used by the cashier to check the validity of the credit card presented by the guest. This equipment is linked to the credit card data bank which holds information concerning the validity of the credit card. This ensures that the guest has the credit balance high enough to cover the projected charges and also verifies the ownerships of the guest from the card. Call accounting system: It is fully computerized telephone system which allows the proper billing of the outgoing calls of the guest. It is also known as APBX (Automatic private branch exchange). Computer: Are used widely in front office department for the purpose of reservation, registration, accounting and auditing. Computer can also store and retrieve important data of the guest to carry out various services. A hotel management software is required to effectively use computers in hotel operations.

53 Review Questions Q.1 State True or false: (a) James remind-o is a kind of alarm clock. (b) Call accounting system is also known as APBX. (c) Cash register is used at cashier desk. (d) Whitney rack has pigeon holes. (e) Guest folio is used in reception. Q.2 Fill in the blanks: (a) APBX stands for. (b) Guest folios are kept arranged in a folio (c ) FAX stands for. (d) contains Shanon Slips (e) Validity of credit card is checked by. Q.3 Answer the following questions: Q. 1. Write short note on manual equipments used in front office? Q. 2. What kind of information is kept at information rack? Q. 3. Discuss in brief different equipments used in an automated front office system. 4.7 Duties and Responsibilities of front office personnel JOB TITLE:- FRONT OFFICE MANAGER REPORTS TO:- GENERAL MANAGER QUALIFICATION:- Degree or diploma in hotel management. Duties and Responsibilities: (a) Recommend and monitor front office budget and plan for the year. (b) Lead train and motivate front office team. (c) Check the arrivals of the day and inform VIP arrivals to management. (d) Approve expenses of the front office department. (e) Ensure the safety and hygiene of the front office and its staff. (f) Maintain discipline and conduct staff appraisals regularly or as per policy. (g) Co-ordinate with housekeeping and engineering to ensure room availability for sale. (h) Monitor the reservation system. (i) Exercise revenue and yield management to maximize room income. (j) Introduce technology to improve efficiency and information for decision making. (k) Resolve guest and staff complaint. 41

54 JOB TITLE:- ASSISTANT FRONT OFFICE MANAGER REPORTS TO:- FRONT OFFICE MANAGER QUALIFICATION:- Degree or diploma in hotel management. Duties and Responsibilities: (a) Act in the capacity of the front office manager in his/her absence and ensure the smooth functioning of the front office. (b) Allot daily duties to subordinate staff to meet work exigencies ensuring equity of work. (c) Conduct daily briefing using it as a vehicle for a two way communication, training and corrective action. (d) Attend to guest complaints to ensure guest satisfaction through immediate action. (e) Check the daily arrivals and departures at the hotel and tally it with room position. (f) Organize the training of staff for meeting the standards of service. (g) Develop room sales through up selling, guest contacts to ensure good service. (h) Ensure that the front office is free from work hazards. (i) Control cost of supplies. (j) Motivate staff through fair leadership. JOB TITLE:- FRONT OFFICE SUPERVISOR REPORTS TO:- FRONT OFFICE MANAGER QUALIFICATION:- Degree or diploma in hotel management. Duties and Responsibilities: (a) Ensure that all staff reports on time, is wearing proper uniform and well groomed as per hotel standard. (b) Take over from the previous shift and check the log book for follow up actions. (c) Assign duties ensuring equal distribution of work load during a shift. (d) Check arrivals and departures and tally the room position. (e) Check the room key position and report any missing key. (f) Meet and greet all arrivals and ensure accurate and speedy roaming. (g) Check all equipment for service ability. (h) Check statistical data such as Daily room revenue, occupancy, house count, VIP list, room report, Guest folios. (i) Assist in registering guest during busy periods. (j) Ensure that staff meet hygiene and discipline standards. JOB TITLE:- LOBBY MANAGER REPORTS TO:- FRONT OFFICE MANAGER QUALIFICATION:- Degree or diploma in hotel management. Duties and Responsibilities: (a) Take over shift from previous lobby manager and note and special instruction for the shift. 42

55 (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h) (i) (j) (k) (l) (m) Brief staff of uniformed service. Make sure the lobby is clean and tidy. Manage scanty baggage procedure. Monitor check in of groups and airline crew. Manages the discipline of the uniformed service. Attend to any disputes over guest billing. Training of the staff working in lobby area. Coordinate all guest requests with all departments of the hotels. Assist the security in lobby surveillance. Overall the concierge, bell desk service and valet parking, door man service and transportation. Acts on behalf of the front office management at night. Custodian of the master key and the keys to all stores (at night). JOB TITLE:- RECEPTIONIST REPORTS TO:- FRONT OFFICE SUPERVISOR QUALIFICATION:- Degree or diploma in hotel management. Duties and Responsibilities: (a) Check the arrivals of the day and room status including departures for the day. (b) Check the expected VIPS for the day and issues VIP amenities vouchers for fruits, flowers, beverages etc as per policy. (c) Prepare records and pre registrations for VIP, handicapped people and old people. (d) Handle group/crew registration as per laid down procedures. (e) Register all arrivals during the shift. (f) Constantly update room rack front office database. (g) Give departure rooms to housekeeping without delays. (h) Assist in making room occupancy reports. (i) Up sell rooms to get higher revenues. (j) Handle guest with scanty baggage diligently. (k) Update guest history periodically to maintain an accurate database. JOB TITLE:- RESERVATION ASSISTANT REPORTS TO:- FRONT OFFICE MANAGER QUALIFICATION:- Degree or diploma in hotel management. Duties and Responsibilities: (a) Update the reservation register to obtain and maintain a current inventory position. (b) Attend briefings at the beginning of the shift. (c) Type out advance reservation slips and maintains reservation racks and correspondence. (d) Carry out amendments and cancellations of reservation accurately. (e) Keep room status board and database update at all times. 43

56 (f) (g) (h) (i) Update the reservation register to obtain and maintain current from inventory position. Check the reservation stationary and requisition supplies wherever necessary. Up sell rooms to generate revenue. Maintain guest history sheets. JOB TITLE:- FRONT OFFICE CASHIER REPORTS TO:- FRONT OFFICE SUPERVISOR QUALIFICATION:- Degree or diploma in hotel management. Duties and Responsibilities: (a) Take over a shift and note special instructions for the shift. (b) Issue safety deposit lockers to guest according to procedure. (c) Disburse petty cash and authorized paid outs. (d) Pass allowances as directed or wrong charges posted in folios. (e) Handle credit card payments through proper procedure. (f) Accept personal checks after ensuring proper authorized. (g) Prepare the front office cashiers report and other reports. (h) Ensure that telephone meter readings of guest rooms are accurately taken to raise appropriate charges. (i) Coordinate closely with the night auditor for the day s audit. (j) Receive the cash sales of all revenue outlets at the end of each shift and keep in safe custody. JOB TITLE:- NIGHT AUDITOR REPORTS TO:- FRONT OFFICE SUPERVISOR QUALIFICATION:- Degree or diploma in hotel management. Duties and Responsibilities: (a) Tally all sales summaries of revenue outlets with bills. (b) Verify and validate front office cashiers vouchers. (c) Check guest folios with charge vouchers. (d) Verify front office cashiers reports. (e) Prepare statement of accounts above permissible limits. (f) Prepare the daily transcripts. (g) Audit the night receptionist room report. (h) Account for the city ledger credit amounts due. JOB TITLE:- CONCIERGE REPORTS TO:- LOBBY MANAGER QUALIFICATION:- Degree or diploma in hotel management. Duties and Responsibilities: (a) Handle all guest mail, information, parcels, and couriers etc as per procedures. (b) Answer queries of house facilities and places of tourist interest. (c) Keep information aids like time tables, road maps, hotels guide etc. 44

57 (d) Help guests confirm airlines, bus or train tickets. (e) Procure box office tickets for cinemas, concerts, special shows etc for the guest. (f) Develop contacts with city services to facilitate guest. JOB TITLE:- BELL CAPTAIN REPORTS TO:- LOBBY MANAGER QUALIFICATION:- Degree or diploma in hotel management. Duties and Responsibilities: (a) Prepare staff schedules to meet the exigencies of work. (b) Set standards of daily briefings and establish effective two way communications. (c) Attend to guest complaints and take prompt corrective action. (d) Assist bell captain with guest request within policy. (e) Oversee the left luggage formalities and the baggage room. (f) Set control for the sale of postage stamps to guest. (g) Train the bell captain and bell boys for maximum departmental efficiency. (h) Assist the security in lobby surveillance. (i) Maintain first aid kit as prescribed by the house doctor. (j) Step in for lobby manager in his absence. JOB TITLE:- BELL BOY REPORTS TO:- BELL CAPTAIN QUALIFICATION:- Diploma in Front Office Duties and Responsibilities: (a) Handle guest arrivals like receive baggage from the porch etc. (b) Handle guest departures like bring down guest baggage from the room. (c) Handle and store luggage trolleys, wheel chairs etc carefully. (d) Report guest with scanty baggage to the bell captain. (e) Account for postage stamps sold to guest during the shift. (f) Distribute daily newspaper to guest rooms as directed. (g) Assist in the transfer of guest baggage in the event of change of rooms. JOB TITLE:- TELEPHONE OPERATOR REPORTS TO:- FRONT OFFICE MANAGER QUALIFICATION:- Degree or diploma in hotel management. Duties and Responsibilities: (a) Maintain the telephone equipment and ensure its proper usage. (b) Transferring all incoming calls to their respective destination and sometime transferring outgoing calls as well. (c) Give wake up calls to guest when requested. (d) Update and maintain guest information rack so as to remain aware of the guest name and room number. 45

58 (e) (f) Maintain caller privacy at all times. Be responsible for accurate accounting charges of guest in a manual system. JOB TITLE:- GUEST RELATION EXECUTIVE REPORTS TO:- FRONT OFFICE MANAGER QUALIFICATION:- Degree or diploma in hotel management. Duties and Responsibilities: (a) Note any special instruction left in the lobby managers log book. (b) Check the arrivals and departures of the day especially VIP s. (c) Welcome guest as per procedures set by management. (d) Offer assistance for any services required by guest. (e) Manage all guest complaints and take action appropriately. (f) Maintain guest history cards of regular guest and VIP s. (g) Assist the scales in familiarization tours of the hotel. (h) Coordinates with concerned department to resolve guest needs. (i) Assist the security in lobby surveillance. Review Questions Q.1 Fill in the blanks: (a) Guest history cards are made by. (b) Wake up calls are given by. (c) are sold to the guest by bell boy. (d) City services are facilitated by. (e) Up selling of rooms is done by. Q.2 State True or False: (a) V.I.P guests are received by G.R.E. (b) Scanty baggage is check by door man. (c) Theatre tickets are book by concierge for the guest. (d) Guest folios are checked by lobby manager. (e) Registration is done by receptionist. Q.3 Answer the following questions: Q. 1. Discuss the job profile of front office manager in a hotel. Q. 2. Write down the duties and responsibilities of G.R.E and lobby manager. 4.8 Let Us Sum Up Front office is the nerve center of a hotel. Primary job of front office is to sell rooms, maintain guest account and to work as a single window point of contact for the guests. It comprises of sections like Reservation, Reception, Information, Cashier, Telephone Bell Desk, Concierge and Travel desk. Staff structure of front office department varies from hotel to hotel as it is based on number of rooms, management policy, extent of automation and multi skilling in the hotel. Staff hierarchy chart of two 46

59 different types of hotels is given in this unit for your reference. Equipments and aids used in front office department include Computer with a property management system and internet, Credit card validator or EDC machine, Fax machine, EPABX and different desks and racks. Finally, this unit deals with the duties and responsibilities of different staff positions in the front office department along with their respective reporting officers and qualification requirement. 4.9 Practical Activities Activity I: Students in group to draw the front office staff organization chart for a large hotel and medium sized hotel respectively on the chart paper and present it in the practical class room. Activity II: Teacher to familiarize the students with the different racks and equipments in the practical lab. Activity III: School should organize a field trip for the students to have a first hand look at the equipments used in hotel for front office department and their usage. Activity IV: In groups of four each, Students to prepare a presentation on any one section of front office and to present it to rest of the class with the help of chart papers. Activity V: Each student to impersonate different front office personnel by speaking 2-3 lines of a dialogue about his job profile. Other students of the class should try and recognize whom he is impersonating. Activity VI: Chart preparation of departmental organization of Hotels. 47

60 UNIT 5 Lobby and Its Layout Contents 5.0 Unit Overview and Description Overview Knowledge and skill outcomes Resource Material Learning Outcomes Assessment Plan 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Lobby Layout 5.3 Let Us Sum Up 5.4 Practical Activities 5.0 Unit Overview and Description Overview: This unit will provide the student information about the location of a lobby in the hotel, its significance in the hotel and the layout of the hotel lobby. Knowledge and Skill Outcomes: location of lobby in the hotel Role of lobby area Layout of lobby Resource material: Hotel Front Office Operations & Management : Jatashankar R. Tiwari Front Office Operations : Colin Dix, Chris Baird Front Office Management : Sushil Kumar Bhatnagar Front Office Management & Operations : Sudhir Andrews Front Office Operations & Management : Rakesh Puri Check-in Check-Out Managing Hotel Operations : Gary K. Vallen, Jerome J. Vallen Principles of Hotel Front-Office Operations : Sue Baker, Jeremy Huyton, Pam Bradley 48

61 Learning Outcomes: Unit 5: lobby and its layout Outcomes 5.1 Introduction General Overview 5.2 Lobby Layout Student will be able to draw a lobby layout with relative positioning of different sections Assessment Plan: (For the Teachers) Unit-5 Topic Assessment Method 5.1 Introduction Exercise : Question & Answer 5.2 Lobby Layout Exercise : Question & Answer 5.1 Time Plan Remarks Introduction A hotel lobby is the place where you check into or out of a hotel. It s on the main floor, and usually it s a very open area with many seating places. The focus point of the hotel lobby is the registration desk, behind which a few employees stand. The person who plans to stay at the hotel approaches the desk to make payments, check in, get the keys to their hotel room, and eventually return here to check out and return the keys. Lobby usually serves as gathering point for guest & their visitors in a hotel first pass through this area, it must be well planned, designed, decorated from inside and outside to give the first impression to the guest. Features of Lobby: 1. It should be spacious but useful. 2. Natural flow of guest should be towards the reception or information counter on his arrival in the hotel. 3. There should be enough space in lobby for short time keeping of luggage before either sending to room or to the car. 4. The porch sitting should be at least 10 feet high from the road. 5. Lobby should be such as to allow access, the activities in the lobby, entrance, exit etc. 6. Avoid pillars as far as possible they obstructs the view and creates problems in the movement. 7. Various factors such as cost, safety, noise, colour, decor etc should be considered. 49

62 Illustration: Different types of Lobby Sections of lobby Reception Information Desk Cash and Bills Travel Desk Uniformed Services Bell Desk Concierge 50 Reception This section of the front office receives and welcomes guests on their arrival in the hotel. The personnel of this section procure all the necessary information about the guest to complete the registration process.

63 Information desk As the name suggests, the information desk provides information to guests. It is manned by an information assistant. In a small hotel, the same function may be performed by the receptionist. The need of a separate information desk is felt in large hotels where the traffic of guests is higher. Cashier desk The cash and bills section records all the monetary transactions of guests. It maintains guest folios and prepares the guest bills to be settled by the guest at the time of departure. This section is headed by a cashier. Travel desk The travel desk takes care of travel arrangements of guests, like air-ticketing, railway reservations, sightseeing tours, airport or railway station pick up or drop, etc. The hotel may operate the travel desk or it may be outsourced to an external travel agency. Bell desk The bell desk is located very close to the main entrance of the hotel. This section is headed by a bell captain, who leads a team of bell boys and page boys. Concierge The concept of concierge came from the days of European royalty. The concierge was the castle doorkeeper in those times. His duty was to ensure that all castle occupants were safe in their rooms at night. A concierge is often expected to achieve the impossible. Review Question Q. 1 What are the essential features in the planning of a Hotel lobby? 5.2 Lobby Layout 51

64 Review Questions Q. 1. State True or False: (a) Lobby should be spacious but useful. (b) Telephone operator is a part of Lobby area. (c) Reservation Manager is in charge of the lobby operations. (d) Bell desk operates from Lobby of a hotel. (e) Interior design is not particularly important for the lobby area. Q. 2. Write a short note on the importance of lobby in a hotel. Q. 3. Draw a neat diagram of the sample layout of a hotel lobby. 5.3 Let us Sum Up Lobby creates the first impression of the hotel. This may be considered as the hub of activity in a hotel. All guests enter through a lobby when they are checking-in and also while checking-out. Lobbies are usually designed in an aesthetically appealing manner. The functional areas which are a part of Lobby includes Reception, cashier, Bell Desk, Concierge, Travel Desk etc. Lobby Manager is the manager in charge of this area. 5.4 Practical Activities Activity I: Activity II : Activity III : Students to draw the layout of lobby in their chart papers with use of different colour sketch pens to demarcate functional areas of front office department. Students should collect pictures of lobby of different hotels and prepare a collage out of it for display in the practical class room. Students should individually, visit the lobby of a nearby hotel and share their experiences in the class room. 52

65 Unit 6 Co-ordination of Front office with other Departments Contents 6.0 Unit Overview and Description Overview Knowledge and skill outcomes Resource Material Learning Outcomes Assessment Plan 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Advantages of co-ordination Among Departments 6.3 Co-ordination of Front Office with Different Departments in the Hotel 6.4 Let Us Sum Up 6.5 Practical activities 6.0 Unit Overview and Description Overview: This unit will provide information to the student on benefits of co-ordination among different departments in a hotel. The unit gives details of the points of co-ordination of front office department with other departments of the hotel i.e. Marketing and Sales Department, Housekeeping Department, F &B Department (service and Production), Banquet, Maintenance and Engineering, Security and Human Resource Department. Knowledge and Skill Outcomes: Importance and benefits of proper co-ordination among different departments in the hotel Points of co-ordination of front office department with other major departments in the hotel. Resource material: Hotel Front Office Operations & Management : Jatashankar R. Tiwari Front Office Operations : Colin Dix, Chris Baird Front Office Management : Sushil Kumar Bhatnagar Front Office Management & Operations : Sudhir Andrews Front Office Operations & Management : Rakesh Puri Check-in Check-Out Managing Hotel Operations : Gary K. Vallen, Jerome J. Vallen Principles of Hotel Front-Office Operations : Sue Baker, Jeremy Huyton, Pam Bradley 53

66 Learning Outcomes: Unit 6: Front Office Outcomes 6.1 Introduction General Overview 6.2 Advantages of co-ordination among departments 6.3 Co-ordination of Front office with different departments in the Hotel In this section, you will be able to rationalize the reasons for coordination among departments and the advantages thereof. You will be able to understand the different points of interface and co-ordination of Front office with various departments of the hotel like Marketing and Sales Department, Housekeeping Department, F&B Department (service and Production), Banquet, maintenance and engineering, Security and Human Resource Department. Assessment Plan: (For the Teachers) Unit Topic Assessment Method Time Plan Remarks 6.1 Introduction Exercise : Question & Answer 6.2 Advantages of coordination among departments 6.3 Co-ordination of Front office with different departments in the hotel Exercise : Question & Answer Exercise : Question & Answer 6.1 Introduction Like a player in a football match, the front office alone cannot perform the Hotel business.the front office staff interacts with all departments of the hotel, including marketing and sales, housekeeping, food and beverage, banquet, controller, maintenance, security, and human resources to reach to the desired business results. These departments view the front office as a liaison point of communication in providing guest services. Each of the departments has a unique communication link with the front office staff. Review Question Q. 1 Front office functioning is a team game and not an individual game. Comment? 54

67 6.2 Advantages of co-ordination among departments By the proper co-ordination, level of guest satisfaction increases. It helps in increasing the sale. It reduces burden on staff. Helps in completing departmental objectives. Departments are able to understand the problems of each other. Helps in team-building. Improves the overall efficiency of the hotel. Review Question Q. 1 List the advantages of inter departmental co-ordination in a hotel ) Co-ordination of Front office with different departments in the hotel Marketing and Sales Department The marketing and sales department relies on the front office to provide data on guest histories, details concerning each guest s visit. Some of the information gathered is based on pin code, frequency of visits, corporate affiliation, special needs, and reservations for sleeping rooms. It is also the front office s job to make a good first impression on the public, to relay messages, and to meet the requests of guests who are using the hotel for meetings, seminars, and banquets. The guest history is a valuable resource for marketing and sales, which use the guest registration information to target marketing campaigns, develop promotions, prepare mailing labels, and select appropriate advertising 55

68 media. The front office staff must make every effort to keep this database current and accurate. The process of completing the booking of a special function (such as a wedding reception, convention, or seminar) depends on the availability of rooms for guests. The marketing and sales executives may have to check the lists of available rooms three, six, or even twelve months in the future to be sure that the hotel can accommodate the expected number of guests. A database of available rooms is maintained in the property management system by the front office. At first guest contacts with the marketing and sales department, usually through the hotel s switch board. A competent switch board operator who is friendly and knowledgeable about hotel operations and personnel will make a good first impression, conveying to the prospective client that this hotel is competent. Messages for the marketing and sales department must be relayed completely, accurately, and quickly. 2) Housekeeping Department Housekeeping and the front office communicate with each other about housekeeping room status, the report on the availability of the rooms for immediate guest occupancy. Housekeeping room status can be described in the following communication terms: Available Clean or Ready - Room is ready to be occupied Occupied - Guest or guests are already occupying a room Stay over - Guest will not be checking out of a room on the current day Dirty or on - Change - Guest has checked out of the room, but the housekeeping staff has not released the room for occupancy Out - of - order - Room is not available for occupancy because of a mechanical malfunction Any difference in the occupancy status provided by Housekeeping and in the record front office needs to be sorted out on an immediate basis. This is known as discrepancy and the report containing the details of the same is known as discrepancy report. House keeping and the front office also communicate on the details of potential house count (a report of the number of guests registered in the hotel), security concerns, and requests for amenities (personal toiletry items such as shampoo, toothpaste, mouthwash, and electrical equipment). These issues are of immediate concern to the guest as well as to supervisors in the hotel. Reporting of room status is handled on a face-to-face basis in a hotel that does not use a property management 56

69 system (PMS). The bi-hourly or hourly visits of the house- keeper to the front desk clerk are a familiar scene in such a hotel. The official reporting of room status at the end of the day is accomplished with a housekeeper s room report (a report prepared by the housekeeper that lists the guest room occupancy status as vacant, occupied, or out-of-order). Sometimes even regular reporting of room status is not adequate, as guests may be anxiously awaiting the opportunity to occupy a room. On these occasions, the front desk clerk will have to telephone the floor supervisor to determine when the servicing of a room will be completed. The housekeeper relies on the room sales projections- a weekly report prepared and distributed by the front office manager that indicates the number of departures, arrivals, walk-ins, stayovers, and no-shows-to schedule employees. Timely distribution of the room sales projections assists the executive housekeeper in planning employee personal leaves and vacation days. The front desk also relies on housekeeping personnel to report any unusual circumstances that may indicate a violation of security for the guests. For example, if a maid or houseman notices obviously non-registered guests on a floor, a fire exit that has been propped open, or sounds of a domestic disturbance in a guest room, he or she must report these potential security violations to the front office. The front office staff, in turn, will relay the problem to the proper in-house or civil authority. The front office manager may want to direct the front desk clerks and switch board operators to call floor supervisors on a regular basis to check activity on the guest floors. Guest requests for additional or special amenities and guest room supplies may be initiated at the front desk. The prompt relay of requests for extra blankets, towels, soap, and shampoo to housekeeping is essential. 3) Food and Beverage Department (service and production) Communication between the food and beverage department and the front office is also essential. Some of this communication is conveyed by relaying messages and providing accurate information on transfers, which are forms that are used to communicate a charge to a guest account. Communication activities also include reporting predicted house counts, an estimate of the number of guests expected to register based on previous occupancy activities, and processing requests for paid - outs, forms used to indicate the amounts of money paid out of the cashier s drawer on behalf of a guest or an employee of the hotel. These vital services help an overworked food and beverage manager, restaurant manager, or banquet captain meet the demands of the guest. 57

70 Incoming messages for the food and beverage manager and executive chef from vendors and other industry representatives are important to the business operation of the food and beverage department. Telephone operator of the front office department is sensitized to understand the importance of these calls and top priority and is accorded to the messages taken for the in case of their non-availability in the office. In a hotel that has point-of-sale terminals, computerized cash registers that interface with a property management system, information on guest charges is automatically posted to a guest folio, his or her record of charges and payments. When a hotel does not have point - of - sale terminals that interface with PMS pointof-sale terminals, the desk clerk is responsible for posting accurate charges on the guest folio. The front office manager should work with the food and beverage manager in developing standard operating procedures and methods to complete the transfer of charges. The supervisors in the food and beverage department rely on the predicted house count prepared by the front office manager to schedule employees and predict sales. For example, the restaurant supervisor working the breakfast shift will want to know how many guests will be in the hotel so that he or she can determine how many servers to schedule for breakfast service. Timely and accurate preparation of this communication tool assists in staffing control and sales predictions. Authorized members of the food and beverage department will occasionally ask the front office for cash, in the form of IOU, to purchase last-minute items for a banquet, the lounge, or the restaurant or to take advantage of other unplanned opportunities to promote hospitality. Specific guidelines concerning cash limits, turn around time, prior approval, authorized signatures, and purchase receipts are developed by the General Manager and Front Office Manager. These guidelines help to maintain control of these paid-outs. 4) Banquet Department The banquet department, which often combines the functions of a marketing and sales department and a food and beverage department, requires the front office to relay information to guests about scheduled events and bill payment. The front desk staff may also provide labour to prepare the daily announcement board, an inside listing of the daily activities of the hotel (time, group, and room assignment), and marquee, the curb side message board, which includes the logo of the hotel and space for a message. Since the majority of banquet guests may not be registered guests in the hotel, the front office provides a logical communications center. The daily posting of scheduled events on a board or an electronic bulletin board provides all guests and employees with information on group events. This service is often handled by front office employees. The preparation of the marquee may include congratulatory, welcome, sales promotion, or other important messages. In some hotels, an employee in the front office contacts the marketing and sales department for the message. The banquet guest who is unfamiliar with the hotel property will ask at the front office for directions. This service might seem minor in the overall delivery of service, but it is essential to the lost or confused guest. The front office staff must know both how to direct guests to particular meeting rooms or reception areas and which functions are being held in which rooms. The person responsible for paying the bills for a special event will also find his or her way to the front office to settle the city ledger accounts (accounts of those guests who are not inhouse). 5) Accounts The accounts or controller relies on the front office staff to provide a daily summary of financial transactions 58

71 through a well-prepared night audit report. This information is also used to measure management ability to meet budget targets. Since the front office provides the controller with financial data for billing and maintenance of ledgers, these two departments must relay payments and charges through the posting machine or property management system. 6) Maintenance or Engineering Department The maintenance or engineering department and front office communicate on room status and requests for maintenance service. Maintenance employees must know the occupancy status of a room before attending to plumbing, heating, or air-conditioning problems. If the room is reserved, the two departments will work out a time frame so the guest will be able to enter the room or be assigned to another room. Cooperative efforts produce the best solutions to sometimes seemingly impossible situations. Likewise, the requests from guests for the repair of heating, ventilating, air- conditioning units, plumbing, televisions and other room furnishings are directed to the front desk. These requests are then communicated to the maintenance department. The front desk clerk must keep track of the repair schedule, as guests want to be informed of when the repair will be made. 7) Security Department Communications between the security department and the front office are very important in providing hospitality to the guest. These departments work together very closely in maintaining guest security. Fire safety measures and emergency communication systems as well as procedures for routine investigation of guest security concerns require the cooperation of these departments. 8) Human Resources Management Department 59

72 The recruitment, induction, training, appraisals and promotion of front office employees as well as all their personnel matters are handled by HR department of a hotel. The human resources management department may rely on the front office staff to act as an initial point of contact for potential employees in all departments. Some managers of human resources management depend on the front office to distribute application forms and other personnel-related information to job applicants. The potential employee may ask for directions to the personnel office at the front desk. Review Questions Q.1 Match the following: I. Housekeeping (a) Bulletin Board II. Accounts (b) Repair Schedule III. Maintenance (c) Guest History IV. Sales & Marketing (d) Room Discrepancy V. Banquets (e) Night Audit Report Q.2 Fill in the blanks: 1. Recruitment and promotion of front office employees is done by department. 2. is a room which is not available due to mechanical malfunctioning. 3. Daily summary of is provided by front office department to accounts department. Q.3 Answer the following questions: Q. 1. Success of a hotel depends upon the close team work among its different departments. Elaborate? Q. 2. Write a note on interdepartmental coordination between Housekeeping and front office department. 6.4 Let us sum up Hotel is a business unit in which several departments work in close coordination to create a great experience for the guest. Front office department cannot work in isolation as its nature of work is such that it is dependent on all other departments to closely co-ordinate and communicate with it. Housekeeping prepares the rooms which are sold by Front office. They closely coordinate with each other regarding the status of rooms. Food and Beverage is dependent upon front office for promotion of its product and for information regarding business forecast to plan their activities. Sales and marketing thrives on the basis of information, database and feedback given by front office to them. Security and Accounts also has close functional relationship with the front office department. 60

73 6.5 Practical Activities Activity I: Students to perform a role play highlighting the coordination among different departments of the hotel. Role play to be followed by a discussion on the topic. Activity II: A group of students to enact the role-play of morning meeting of the executives of the hotel and highlight the co-ordination among them for efficient functioning of the hotel. Activity I Role play, Work-sheet Co- ordination of Front Office with Housekeeping:FOA calling to HK department. H K Supervisor : Good Morning, Housekeeping, Naresh, House keeping control desk, How may I help you FOA : Good morning Naresh, this is Sheetal from Front office. I want to bring an observation to your notice. When we tallied our room status report with house keeping room status report, we found some discrepancy in that H K Supervisor : OK, What is that? FOA: There is a discrepancy of one room which is shown out of order in our list and is shown vacant in your report. H K Supervisor : Let me check once again. Please hold the line. HK Supervisor : Thank you for holding Sheetal, Actually I got the report through log book that AC problem of Room no was mended last night. So, this room is now ready to sell. Kindly correct in your report. I will send a mail as well. I regret the communication gap. FOA : Thank you so much for your co- operation. Activity II Role play, Work-sheet Scene: Manager s Meeting. Time - 09:30 am. Venue - G M Office. (All the managers of different departments take their chair) GM: Good morning everybody? How are you? All managers : Good morning, sir. We are fine. GM: Let us start with our meeting today. First discuss about problems we faced last day. We shall start with FRONT OFFICE. How was the guest feedback yesterday? 61

74 F.O. manager : Sir most of the guests were quite happy. They were happy about food but had complaint about the restaurant cleaning. G M : let us refer this problem to F & B Manager. F& B Manager : Ex. House keeper : G M : Maintenance head : G M : Ex. House keeper : HRM : GM : GM : F&B manager : Security officer : F& B Manager : GM : All Managers : Thank you for information which was noticed by the guest and I take it as an opportunity but actually this was the place where detailed cleaning was required and I think Executive housekeeper can better guide us in this problem. Sir, we had problem with our cleaning equipment which we use to clean tiles during night shifts complaint has been lodged with maintenance department. OK, Mr. Kaushal (Maintenance head). What is the status of the machine today. Sir, this machine comes under PM preventive maintenance). So, the company person will come by 11:00 am today and he will mend it today itself. There is no alternate available so, could not provide the replacement. OK. So, Mrs. Mehta (Ex. Housekeeper). How was the day yesterday, anything which you want to bring in our notice. Yes sir, thank you. I have problem with staffing. My department is in scarcity of employees at lower level, there is high turn over of employees believe our HR & Training department can help us in this issue. (G M looked towards the HR manager) Thank you Mrs. Mehta. My team will work to hire some more employees for housekeeping. Kindly forward your manpower needs at different levels. So that we can work upon it. To control high turnover of employees I am doing Exit Interviews too. Hope we will come up with better results. Hope you all are satisfied with HR manager s answer. (All nodded affirmatively) Any other point that any one wants to bring to our notice? Sir, we have a booking of banquet party of 300 guest tomorrow. Though every department is informed but my special request is with security officer. Please do your staffing as we may desire adequate staff as we are serving them cocktails in that party. Ok sir, I have staffed accordingly and briefed my department employees. Thank you. I hope all the major issues have been discussed. My special agenda for tomorrow is to discuss how to improve our sales. I require some details what our Sales and Marketing is doing at it and what we should do in future. Suggestions from all department heads are invited. Thank you wish you a very happy business. Thank you. Thank you sir. 62

75 Unit 7 Safety and Security Contents: 7.0 Unit Overview and Description Overview Knowledge and skill outcomes Resource Material Learning Outcomes Assessment Plan 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Developing the Security Programme 7.3 Security for guests 7.4 Security of Hotels 7.5 Emergency Procedures 7.6 Communication and Records 7.7 Let Us Sum Up 7.8 Practical Activities 7.0 Unit Overview and Description Overview: This unit provides an in depth view of the importance of developing a proper security program for a hotel. The unit details separately the security requirements of a guest and that of a hotel. In a separate section various emergency situations and the standard responses are detailed. Knowledge and Skill Outcomes: Importance and benefits of developing a security program for the hotel and for the guests. Various emergency situations and standard responses. Communication and records required for the security apparatus of the hotel for efficient functioning. Resource material: Hotel Front Office Operations & Management : Jatashankar R. Tiwari Front Office Operations : Colin Dix, Chris Baird Front Office Management : Sushil Kumar Bhatnagar 63

76 Front Office Management & Operations : Sudhir Andrews Front Office Operations & Management : Rakesh Puri Check-in Check-Out Managing Hotel Operations : Gary K. Vallen, Jerome J. Vallen Principles of Hotel Front-Office Operations : Sue Baker, Jeremy Huyton, Pam Bradley Learning Outcomes: Unit 7: Safety and Security Outcomes 7.1 Introduction General Overview 7.2 Developing the Security Programme The student will understand the importance of having a security program and the pocess of developing it. 7.3 Security for guests The student will be able to know the security requirements of a guest and the approach hotels use to fulfill them. 7.4 Security of Hotels The student will know the security threats to the hotel and the ways to handle them 7.5 Emergency Procedures The student will understand the standard operating procedures in case of different emergency situations faced by the hotel. 7.6 Communication and Records The student will get information about the communication devices and the type of records used in security program of the hotel. Assessment Plan: (For the Teachers) Unit-1 Topic Assessment Method Time Plan Remarks 7.1 Introduction Exercise : Question & Answer 7.2 Developing the Security Programme Exercise : Question & Answer 7.3 Security for guests Exercise : Question & Answer 7.4 Security of Hotels Exercise : Question & Answer 7.5 Emergency Procedures Exercise : Question & Answer 7.6 Communication and Records Exercise : Question & Answer 64

77 7.1 Introduction Lodging property managers have many responsibilities, one of which is security. From the earliest days of the hospitality industry, one of the most important duties of an innkeeper has been to protect guests from any harm to his life or property. Although interpretations of protection may vary from country to country, every legal jurisdiction imposes some form of security obligations on hotels. Security regulations go beyond the innkeeper-guest relationship to include hotel employees and others on the properties who are not guests. Therefore, providing security in a hotel is the broad task of protecting people, be it the guests, employees, and others and assets. It must be stated, however, that each lodging property is different and has different security needs. Review Question Q. 1 Providing safety and security to guests is one of the foremost duties of a hotel's management. Comment? 7.2 Developing the Security Programme Lodging property security efforts may involve such areas of concern as guestroom and security, key control, locks, access control, perimeter control, alarm systems, communication systems, lightning, closed circuit televisions, safe deposit boxes, inventory control, credit and billing procedures, computer security, Staffing, pre-employment screening, employee training, responsible service of alcoholic beverages, emergency procedures, safety procedures, record keeping, and more. The industry's concern with the security has increased greatly since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 in USA. Hotels, because they are so open to the public, are potential targets for terrorist activities. For example, immediately after the tragic events of 9/11, hotels in New York and Washington, 65

78 D.C., received dozens of bomb threats, including threats to use poisonous gas and other types of destructive devices. More recently, two prominent hotels were among the targets of the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, on 26/11/2008. A lodging property security programme should stress the prevention of security problems. It is far more desirable to keep security incidents from occurring than to catch a criminal after crime has been committed. Certain security actions and procedures may help to prevent or discourage incidents. Each property should continually review its security procedures and update them to meet changing security levels. The following list indicates general areas that might be part of a properties security programme: Doors, locks, key control, and access control Guestroom security Control of persons on premises Perimeter and grounds control Protection of assets Emergency procedures Communications Security records Staff security procedures Review Questions Q. 1 List the General Areas that form a part of a hotel property's security programme. Q. 2 Prevention of security problems is better than its cure. Explain in 3-4 lines. 7.3 A. 66 Security for Guests Doors, locks, key control, and access control

79 During a grand opening, a hotel traditionally throws out the keys to the front door. This symbolizes that everyone is welcome. Yet the symbolism doesn t preclude the need to provide access control to all parts of the building and grounds. When most people think of access control, they first think of guestroom access, but there are hotels areas that require security control, including offices, pool and fitness center, meeting rooms and lockers, and other areas, for example, locking hotel storerooms help prevent hotel employees from unauthorized entry and from stealing hotel property, whether it is food, linen, or other supplies. Locking fitness center and pools helps prevent guests, visitors and employees from using the facilities when they cannot be properly supervised. Guest room access security is the most common security need. Electronic guest room locks have greater flexibility compared to manual systems. Different systems can record every authorized and every unauthorized entry attempt. If a guest reports a robbery, the person responsible for hotel security can query the guest room lock and identify the keys that were in the last 10, 20, 30 or 50 entries. For guests, security is enhanced because new key codes are issued each time a guest check in. Keys are issued during the check in process, and usually will work only for a limited time period- for example, the issued key is good until noon on the scheduled date of departure. If the guest decides to extend the stay, the key must be recorded. Similarly, the guest departs a day early; the key can be rendered invalid by checking in another guest in the room. For employees, guest room keys are coded by department, and also have time limits on them. For eg., hotel maintenance employee may be given a temporary guestroom key to fix a problem in a guestroom. The key may be good for a specific time period, such as between 10 A.M and 11 A.M. If more time is needed, the key must be recorded. Guest room doors locks also may include chains or other backup locks on the inside of the door, so that they provide guests with good security. Balcony and patio locks may include not only the lock on the door, but also an extra lock that is controlled from the inside of the room. When connecting rooms are not needed, it is important that the connecting door be closed and locked. Only hotel employees should have the keys to open those doors. Most hotels have multiple key-security levels. The lowest level is the individual guest room, office, store room, or meeting room. The next level is often called a section master key. Section master keys are generally used in housekeeping when a room attendant is assigned a specific group of rooms to clean or inspect; he or she can carry one section master key instead of carrying many separate guest room keys. A floor master key is generally the next level up; it provides access to an entire floor. There can be several buildings master keys. One building master can cover the guest room section of the building, including all storage closets in that part of the building. Another building master can cover all public areas, such as dining and meetings rooms. A grand master key gives access to all doors locks in the building. An emergency key or E-key is an emergency override key that allows access to all rooms, even if they have been locked from the inside. All the lodging property s keys, no matter what level they are, should have control on them. Guest room keys are recorded every time new guests checks in or change their departure date. Other keys do not need to be changed as often, but still need to be controlled. Section master keys and floor 67

80 master keys should be issued at every shift. If a key is lost or stolen; it must be reported immediately and appropriate actions should be taken to invalidate that key. B. Guestroom Security The guest room security extends beyond the guestrooms door locks. Another security device found on guest room doors is the peephole. Peepholes usually contain a fish-eye lens that allows guests to see to the left and right when looking out. Peepholes are usually placed conveniently in the door for guests of average height. In rooms that are specially designed for differently able people, a second peephole is provided for guest in wheel chairs to see all areas of the hall. Telephones are also an important part of guest room security, as they allow guest to call for help whenever necessary. Clear instructions, such as Dial 0 for emergencies should be on or near every guest room telephone. C. Safe Deposit Though hotel is not responsible for the guest valuables, the rule to this effect is written in the guest registration card and also notified in the guest room but a hotel offers a free safe deposit facility for his valuables. Hotels have bank type of lockers installed at the front office cash. A locker is allotted to guest that can be opened by using two keys.the master key is with the front office cashier and other key is issued to the guest. 68

81 A contract is also signed in between the guest and the hotel. Whenever a guest wants to open his locker it has to be entered into the locker operating register. Signatures are always verified with the specimen. Head cashier inserts his key then a guest inserts his own key, and then only a lock can be opened. Guest is left alone to operate his locker. If the key is lost by the guest, then the locker will be drilled open in presence of the guest and can be charged for the replacement of the locker. These days some hotels have installed electronic safe deposit boxes in each guest room. This safety box can be operated by using an electronic number. Guest can use any number to open the lock. The number selected by the guest becomes the locker s code number. The guests are advised to keep their valuables in the electronic safety box. Though hotel is not responsible for any lost item. But hotels take this issue as prestige issue so an inquiry is done on the hotel security level. Review Questions Q (a) True or False : (a) Manual locks have greater flexibility compared to electronic ones. (b) A grand master key gives access to all door locks in the building. (c) Safe deposit lockers alloted to guests are opened with the use of a single key which remains with the cashier. (d) In a room for differently abled people, two peep holes are provided. Security of hotels Control of Persons on Premises Controlling people on the premises is one of the most difficult issues for hotel managers and security personnel. Hotels are private property, so people can be excluded if they have no specific reason for being on the premises. It is in these situations where training the hotel staff in security issues is so important. Surveillance systems use video cameras, motion detectors, and other security devices to monitor hotel areas. Cameras are usually connected to monitor in the security offices, Front desk, telephone dept., or other areas where there is generally someone to watch them. Motion detectors and other forms of passive security can set off alarms. Some hotels have signs posted stating that they are private property. 69

82 (b) Perimeter and Grounds Control Perimeter and grounds control can take many forms. Surveillance systems are very useful in providing security monitoring of such outdoors areas as parking lots, pools, tennis courts, and other areas. Parking lots should be well-lit; guests and employees feel safer in well-lighted parking lots or structures. Parking facilities may also have gates to control traffic; sometimes these gates are staffed for extra protection. Fences are often needed, especially in high risk areas. The hotels management should train valet parking attendants, landscape staff members, maintenance staff members, and other to watch for unauthorized people on the grounds. (c) Protection of Assets The physical and intellectual assets of the hotel must be protected as well. Important devices for securing the assets of guests are hotel safe deposit boxes and, for those hotels that offer them, in room safes. Hotels provide some sort of safe deposit box facility for guests at no charge. Guests must be noticed of the availability of these boxes, usually through notices in guest rooms. There may be more than one safe for hotel use. When a deposit is made into the safe, the amount, the date, time, revenue outlet, and name require someone other than the person responsible for the drop was actually envelopes found in the safe as the first step in ensuring that the contents are accurate. Both general hotel safes and drop safes are fire-rated to protect the contents from fire. Hotels must also protect the assets of employees. Employee changing and locker rooms should be secure and safe. Many hotels provide locks for employees. When employees arrive for work, they require a uniform and a lock for the locker where they can store their personal valuables, other hotels use a more flexible system, involving a lockable bag that holds employee clothing and other items. The bag is turned into a secure area after it is filled, and it is claimed at the end of the employee s shift. Review Questions Q.1 State whether True or False: (a) Protecting employees and their assets is also a part of hotels security programme. (b) Safety locker installed at the front office for guest use is operated using one key. (c) A floor master key gives access to all door locks in the hotel. Q.2 Fill in the blanks: (i) Terrorist attack of in USA has greatly increased the Security concerns of hotels. (ii) In a hotel right of admission is (iii) Keys are more secure compared to Manual keys. Q.3 Answer the following questions: Q. 1. Explain how security system is important in guest security. Q. 2. Proper control of Keys is important for strong hotel administration. Discuss? Q /11 has alarmed the security system of not only country but of a hotel? What could be the precautions (equipments and systems) which could have helped the administration to avoid that incident? 70

83 7.5 Emergency Procedures Sooner or later, every hotel will have some sort of emergency to deal with Injuries, robberies, destruction of Assets, Fires, or Other Emergency situations will require extraordinary action on the part of the hotel staff. The hotel should have well documented procedures for all emergencies that can be anticipated. These procedures should be included in the initial and ongoing employee training program. Front desk employees must know what to do during a robbery or when a guest calls asking for medical assistance. Hotel staff members working at hotels located in earth quake, hurricane or flood-prone areas needs to know what to do when these emergencies occur. One of the most important emergency procedures is to assist guests with disabilities during an emergency. Most hotels computer systems have special codes in them for identifying where guests with disabilities have been roomed. If a hotel is being evacuated, employees must go to these guest rooms to assist the disabled guest. Regulation requires guests to be notified in their guest rooms of emergency exits and procedures. Most service hotels have bell attendants provide a brief emergency orientation while escorting guests to their rooms. Evacuation routes are generally posted in guest rooms, often on the back of the main guest room door. Emergency procedures & situation handling:(a) Lost and Found This is a term used in hotel parlance to refer to any item which is left by the guest or temporarily misplaced by the guest but traced later by the hotel staff. Such articles to be handed over to the housekeeping department which maintained a special locker for this purpose. If the item belongs to the guest who has already checked out, then a letter has to be sent to the forwarding address left by the guest while check out or which is there in the registration card. If no reply is received by the hotel within certain time limit, it may be auctioned to the hotel employees as per the hotel rules. If the lost belongings are found in the public areas and the guest is still residing in the hotel then 71

84 housekeeping department keeps those items with them till any complain is made at the front office or in the lobby, in this case guest is required to give a description of the article which is lost, before that item is shown to him. (b) Fire in the hotel As soon the fire is detected and intimated to the front desk,the first thing to do is to inform the telephone department. In most hotels the telephone department plays a pivotal role of alarming the hotel. In smaller hotel which have telephone department is merged with the front office, there the first job is to call the fire department of that city for the help. The front office should alert all guest and inform them to use the staircase and not the elevator. The telephone exchange should always be manned during fire to communicate from one point to another. If the front office staff have to get actively involved in the procedure then they should search each room thoroughly, specially under bed or in closets or bathrooms to ensure that no guest is left behind. They must guide the guest through the fire exit map and help in extinguishing the fire by the use of appropriate fire extinguishers i.e. Foam for electrical fires and oil fires, water for the general fires and so on. (c) Death The front office should inform the General Manager, the Security Officer and call for the hotel doctor, no alarm is raised and none of the guest to be informed.the General Manager may decide to call the police. The room to be sealed till police formalities are over. People known to that person are to be contacted through the addresses entered in the registration card. (d) Accidents The house doctor should be called immediately on phone and informed about the nature of the accident and guest s condition. The doctor s instructions must be followed immediately. Bleeding must be stopped by swabbing wounds with cotton wool and applying antiseptic or any lotion. If 72